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Stories of the Sea 



TOLD BY SAILORS. 



By E. E. HALE. 




/fH7 



BOSTON: 
ROBERTS BROTHERS. 

1880. 



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Copyright, 1880, 
BY ROBERTS BROTHERS. 



PRINTED BY 
&.LFRED MUDGE AND SON. 



PREFACE 



This is the second volume in a series of which the 
first was called " Stories of War Told by Soldiers." It 
is proposed to continue the series with " Stories of Dis- 
covery " and " Stories of Adventure." 

The first volume has been kindly received by the 
public and by the press. But I have observed a certain 
misconception of the object in view, which shows that 
I ought to have stated the plan more distinctly than I 
thought necessary. In that flattering tone which is, 
perhaps, too frequent in the criticisms of our time, it 
has been intimated that if in the " Stories of War " 
there were not so many extracts from General Grant, 
General Sheridan, General Sherman, and the rest, it 
would be better. If Mr. Hale would have written the 
stories " in his own matchless style," — or " his crisp 
style " is a favorite phrase, whatever that may mean, — 
the book would be improved, it has been said. 

To which suggestions this is to be replied : That the 
precise object of these little books is to show intelligent 
young people how they may seek for themselves for the 
best original narratives, and the best historical reading. 
The plan was suggested at the Librarians' Convention 
in Boston, in 1879. Every one of the distinguished 
gentlemen and ladies, engaged in the administration of 
libraries, who met there made the same complaint, — 



2 PREFACE. 

that young people are fed on story-books, and do not 
easily find their own way to more reliable narrative. I 
urged, as best I could, the preparation, by some of the 
younger literary men, of books which should lead the 
way from story-books to history, by showing to the 
young reader how to pass from one to the other, and 
giving them a taste of the original narratives. I was 
met, as most reformers are, by the suggestion, sometimes 
kind and sometimes cynical, that I had better do this 
myself. This, after consultation with Roberts Brothers, 
I determined to do. These two books are the result. 

The reader will understand, then, that we undertake 
to bring the narrative, as it was written by the actors, 
before young students, with a special reason. The few 
exceptions we are forced to make are still such as will 
carry such students to carefully written history, closely 
following the original authorities. It is an essential 
part of our plan that soldiers shall themselves tell the 
stories of war, and sailors tell the stories of the sea. 
The hope of collecting these extracts is that readers 
may " ask for more," and seek for it. 

I believe intelligent young people will be glad of any 
hint, which will throw them back on the very best of 
literature, which is invariably the work of men and 
women who have themselves acted in the world's affairs. 

Edward E. Hale. 
PvOxbury, Nov. i, 1880. 



CONTENTS. 



I. Columbus's Return from his first Voyage . . 5 

II. The Chancellor Voyage 38 

III. The Spanish Armada 52 

IV. The Battle of Lepanto 79 

V. Sir Richard Grenville 94 

VI. Alexander Selkirk 107 

VII. The Buccaneers 119 

VIII. Paul Jones and Richard Pearson 127 

IX. Nelson and Trafalgar 147 

X. The English Navy 162 

XI. Pitcairn's Island 192 

XII. Naval Battles 236 

XIII. Shipwrecks 274 



STOEIES OF ¥AE, 

By EDWARD E. HALE. 
16mo. Cloth. Price, $1.00. 



From the New York Evening Post, 

The Rev. Edward Everett Hale is one of the very few students 
of the subject who understands boy nature perfectly, and respects 
its strength too profoundly to fall into the common error of sup- 
posing that the boy love of adventure-stories can be safely sup- 
pressed. He is too sound a thinker and writer not to see that the 
evil quality of vicious juvenile literature is something other than 
its character as literature of adventure. He understands perfectly 
not only that stories of adventure are natural and wholesome food 
for the mind of boys, but that the demand for such food is peremp- 
tory; and he knows, therefore, that vicious literature of adventure 
can be supplanted only by wholesome literature of adventure. 

Acting upon this conviction, Mr. Hale has begun a series of books 
which we cannot too earnestly commend to all buyers of books for 
youth. The first volume in the series, which is the only one yet 
published, is a collection of " Stories of War told by Soldiers." 
There is a prefatory chapter which introduces the fictitious per- 
sonages among whom the stories are told, and with this setting of 
fiction various accounts of stirring scenes in our late war are pre- 
sented, in the words of their writers, with connecting and explana- 
tory dialogues among the fictitious personages. 

The stories relate to the first battle of Bull Run, the fighting at 
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, General McClellan and the Penin- 
sula, the West Virginia campaign, Antietam, Pittsburg Landing, 
Vicksburg, Gettysburg, Chickamauga and Chattanooga, Grant's 
advance on Richmond, Sheridan's ride, the Wilderness, Sherman's 
great march, Nashville, the siege of Richmond, the last week of 
the war, and the end of the struggle; The accounts are taken from 
various sources, the writers represented including Generals Grant, 
Sheridan, Imboden, Tyler, Schenck, Coppee, Colonel Keyes, Cap- 
tain Wilkes, and a score or more of other participants in the strug r 
g!e, some upon one side and some upon the other; 

The interest of such a book, edited as it is with masterly skill, is 
apparent, and its value in awakening juvenile interest in history is 
not less so.. The series will be continued by " Stories of the Sea 
told by Sailors," and " Stories of Adventure told by Adventurers." 



ROBERTS BROTHERS. Publishers - - BOSTON. 



STORIES OF THE SEA 

TOLD BY SAILORS. 



I. 

COLUMBUS'S RETURN FROM HIS FIRST 
VOYAGE. * 

AVERY bright and jolly party of young people 
were in the habit of passing their summer vaca- 
tion with Col. Frederic Ingham, in his house near the 
sea-shore, in Southern Rhode Island. In the book 
called " Stories of War " there has been some account 
of the way in which they spent their rainy days there. 
In Col. Ingham's old documents, and the memoirs 
which illustrated them, they found stories of battle and 
chivalry to their hearts' content. They learned how 
Mr. Jules Verne and Mr. G. P. R. James study for 
writing their romances, and boys and girls both found 
the raw material quite as entertaining as the manufac- 
tured article. Indeed, almost all of them formed a 
habit thus of gleaning in " grown-up " books, and often 
picked out more plums there than they did in the some- 
what milky and watery volumes which, in very large 
type and with very bright covers, are published for 
children only. 

*From Dom M. F. de Navarrete's " Relations des Quatre Voy- 
ages entrepris par Christophe Colomb, pour la decourverte du nou- 
veau-monde, de 1492 a 1504," cc, cc. 



6 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

When September came, this happy company broke 
up. Those who went to school had to report at the 
beginning of the term. Some of the older girls had 
sensible mothers, who did not send them to school, but 
let them read steadily at home, and thus gave them a 
chance to ride at the riding-school, to take long walks 
in lovely autumn and winter days, and to grow stout 
and strong. Some of the boys were going into business 
life, and they went back to counting-rooms and wharves 
and offices. But, before they went, they all promised 
Col. Ingham that, whatever else happened, they would 
come and see him every Saturday evening. The col- 
onel lived in winter in a roomy, old-fashioned house not 
far from Boston- It had been built more than a hun- 
dred years ago, for some West Indian nabobs, who 
used to come North to spend their summers, and event- 
ually found themselves more comfortable here than in 
their own islands. When the Revolution came, these 
comfort-lovers had been afraid to trust themselves 
among the rebels. The house, indeed, had been con- 
fiscated, because the owner would pay no taxes except 
to the "best of kings," as it was the fashion then, in 
some circles, to call George the Third. And so, by one 
transfer and another, it had come to be Col. Ingham's 
home. It was without what are "modern improve- 
ments." But there were large fireplaces for hickory 
fires, there were queer old candelabra which lighted it 
when the colonel entertained his young friends, and the 
book-room had a series of wainscoted arches framed 
upon the original alcoves, and upon bay-windows, 
which different owners had added, and certain addi- 
tions which one and another enlargement had made ne- 
cessary, all of which made it the most picturesque room, 
not to say the most convenient for its purpose. It was in 
this book-room that Col. Ingham himself always held 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 7 

court on Saturday afternoon and evening. The young 
people could not come too early. A large part of the 
rest of the house was open to them, and many of them 
were enough at home there to take proper advantage of 
their liberty. But there was always, from four in the 
afternoon till ten in the evening, a little court around 
Col. Ingham, in the book-room. 

The colonel said himself that he preserved such relics 
of feudal life as the nineteenth century could be brought 
to endure. All young people like feudal institutions, 
and among the colonel's were some very pleasant ones. 
There was a certain Wilder, whose hair was now very 
white, whose face was very black, who had been in the 
colonel's employ in most parts of the world, — in Sibe- 
ria, in Italy, in Mexico, and in Arizona. Whether he 
were now servant or master, Col. Ingham said it would 
be hard to tell. Indeed, he said this was not a bad 
definition of the feudal system, that you could not tell 
who was servant and who was master. Wilder certainly 
supposed that he directed everything which went on in 
this establishment. Among his other possessions was 
an excellent violin, which he had carried with him over 
three fourths of the world. Among his manifold accom- 
plishments, which ranged from those of a perfect Cook 
to those of a perfect nurse ; from the power to call 
upland plover to the power of amusing a sick child; 
from the art of devising trout flies to the art of rigging 
boys' schooners, — among these accomplishments was 
the art of playing his beloved violin with feeling, — with 
real love of music, and with infinite fun. Fergus, Hor- 
ace, and all the older boys loved Wilder with a regard 
that was fully returned, and it need hardly be said, that 
when the young people met on Saturday evening, after 
the "high tea" was disposed of, they almost always 
arranged matters so that Wilder and his violin were 



8 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

summoned into Lady Oliver's drawing-room, and, for the 
two hours left, the young people had their fill of Ger- 
mans, quadrilles, and contra-dances. But even this 
diversion never left Col. Ingham alone. Even the 
nicest girls would be found talking with him, or he 
would be showing them his old journals, or pulling 
down prints or maps- or curiosities to explain what he 
was saying, until, at half past nine, a stormy crowd, 
a very " rabble-rout," would rush storming in upon him, 
and tell him it was time for a Virginia reel. And then 
the colonel would have to go out with them, and dance 
as Sir Roger de Coverley himself might have done, 
until they all went home. 

It was in one of these long talks in the book-room, a 
little after Thanksgiving, that Horace said to the col- 
onel that he had had no chance to talk with him about 
the winter's reading. " This is no time," said Horace. 
"Suppose I brought you my note-book. Suppose I 
were ill-bred enough to think I might bother you with 
this or that set of my questions, — when you are kind 
enough to let us all come. Why Stephen there, or 
Laura, or Fergus, might pitch in, with their fine art, or 
their Taine, or their fiddle-faddle, and they 've just as 
good a right to their fiddle-faddle as I have to mine." 

" You must come earlier," said the colonel. 

" Is not that hard on you ? " asked Horace, modestly 
enough. " I should think even you had some rights." 

"I know my rights," said the colonel, laughing, "and 
knowing, do maintain them. When you come too 
early, you will find I am not in. Settle it among your- 
selves. Suppose we arrange that, while daylight lasts, 
you shall bother me about your books in any way you 
want. Those of you who want to read in any order, 
or to have any sense in your reading, can come as early 
as half past three. I shall have finished my nap before 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 9 

then. Then I- will ' expound and explain ' to you 
hearts' content. And behind us here are five thousa d 
books which we ought to know how to handle. In that 
matter, in the Public Library you have weJlnigh three 
hundred thousand, and in the College Library nearly as 
many more, which you ought to know how to handle 
too. You all know something now about going to the 
original authorities. " 

" I saw that you printed the ' Stories of the War,'" 
said Horace. 

"Yes," said the colonel, " I did. And though some 
people did not understand why we did it, the boys 
and girls did ; that is, the bright ones did. I wanted 
them to find out, what you found out in those rainy 
days, that a great soldier will tell his own story better 
than anybody else can tell it for him. There is no such 
place to write your story in as your tent or your head- 
quarters, and there is no such time as the time just 
after the battle. I knew you boys and girls had found 
out that there is no such fun in reading, as diving in 
and dipping for yourselves, or skimming for yourselves. 
There has been such an amount of writing done for 
boys and girls, and feeding them on gingerbread pap, 
which is one grade worse than the milk and water 
Paul condemned, that it takes some little time to 
teach them what a public library is for. But when I 
see my Legion of Honor here," said the colonel, " I take 
courage." 

This was the beginning of a regular series of talks 
and readings, in which really the whole party clustered 
round the colonel on Saturday afternoons. The boys 
and girls all liked a frolic, and the charades, and pri- 
vate theatricals, and dancing in Lady Oliver's old par- 
lors, went on as gayly as ever. But they were not fools. 



IO STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

And there was not one of them but had waded quite 
through the dime-novel grade of literary interest. Half 
past three having been set as the time of meeting, 
when the days were at the shortest, and the evenings 
longest, at half past three it remained. But as the 
days grew longer, the hour of meeting remained 
unchanged. Practically, they read or talked together 
till dark. Then some would go off to arrange the 
charades, or whatever else was on hand. But there 
would be, perhaps, a little circle keeping the same talk 
up much later. The result of the various tasks the 
colonel set them, and of their several excursions into 
the stories of various navigators, will be found, a good 
deal condensed, in this volume. Col. Ingham pub- 
lishes them in the hope that no boy or girl who 
reads will be satisfied by these short extracts. Take 
your life in your hands, go boldly to the Public 
Library, and order down one of the books these 
brave men wrote themselves. Then there is no Act 
of Parliament, or of the State Legislature, which com- 
pels you to read through it. Dip ; dip boldly, but sen- 
sibly. Read the very best things in the man's book, 
and you may be sure you will never forget ; but you 
will know, from that time till you die, of what manner 
of man he was. 

" Anyway," said Horace, rather doubtfully, that first 
evening, "how do they find out about Columbus, to 
make the. books ? Of course they had no daily news- 
papers at Seville, and I do not suppose any ' American 
correspondent ' of "the ' Grenada Times ' went with him. 
Then I do not suppose that the navy department of 
Ferdinand and Isabella published any annual reports, 
like the reports we found of the fight of the ' Kearsarge ' 
and ' Alabama' in." 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. II 

" No ! " said the colonel. " Literature was a good 
deal more picturesque. I think they gained in color, if 
they lost in detail. That thisg slipped out first in letters. 
You find scraps of letters from foreign ambassadors, 
and from other men of note, telling of the first ac- 
counts. But now, you know, we have Columbus's own 
journal." 

"I did not know it," said Horace, frankly. For 
Horace had been well trained in the great rule, " Con- 
fess Ignorance." 

" Oh, yes, I say we have it ; I am ashamed to confess 
that I do not own it. I ought to. But do you go to 
the Public Library and ask for Navarrete's Voyages. 
You have a memorandum book ? That 's right. One 
difference between a fool and a man of sense is that a 
fool has no place to write down what he wants to 
remember." 

So Horace wrote down, " Navarrete, Voyages of Co- 
lumbus ." Before the week passed he went to the Public 
Library and he found he could have them in Spanish, 
which he could not read, in French, which he read 
badly, and that Mr. Kettelle had translated the first 
voyage into English. Fortunately for Horace, though 
he did not think so at the moment, the English trans- 
lation was out. So he took the French and went round 
to show it to Laura. It was one of the " Theodore Par- 
ker books." 

All girls seem to know French better than all boys. 
Laura is always as good-natured as she is bright ; and 
she and Horace spent two very pleasant evenings writ- 
ing out the translation of Columbus's return home from 
the first voyage. 

They carried it to the first afternoon meeting at 
Uncle Fritz's. And here it is. 

" Would it not have been terrible," said Florence, 



12 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" if they had gone to the bottom ; where in the world 
should we all be now ? " 

" Perhaps they would have found the cake of wax," 
said Alice. 

" Did they ever find it, Uncle Fritz ? " 

" I never did," said he. " But why Jules Verne, or 
Edgar Poe, or Mr. Hale never made a story to describe 
the finding it, all covered with barnacles, in the Sargasso 
Sea, I never knew." 

" What 's the Sargasso Sea ? " asked Alice. 

" Hush ! " said Horace, and he began to read. 



Monday, Feb. 14. — This night the wind increased 
still more ; the waves were terrible. Coming from two 
opposite directions, they crossed each other, and 
stopped the progress of the vessel, which could neither 
proceed nor get out from among them ; and as they 
began continually to break over the ship, the admiral 
caused the mainsail * to be lowered as quickly as pos- 
sible, a movement that had no other consequence than 
that of removing his vessel from the midst of the fleet. 
She proceeded in this position during three hours, 
and made twenty miles. The sea became heavier and 
heavier, and the wind more and more violent. Seeing 
the danger imminent, he allowed himself to drift stern 
foremost in whatever direction the wind took him, be- 
cause he could do nothing else. Then the tender, the 
"Pinta," of which Martin Alonzo Pinzon was the com- 
mander, began to drift also ; but she disappeared very 
soon, although all through the night the admiral made 
signals to her, and she answered as long as she could, 

* Papahigo. They call papahigo major the large sail without cap 
and papahigo menor the mizzen-sail. 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 13 

till she was prevented, probably by the force of the 
tempest, and by her deviation from the course which 
the admiral followed. The latter was driven this night 
fifty-four miles towards the northeast quarter-east, which 
made thirteen leagues and a half. After sunrise the 
strength of the wind increased, and the sea became 
still more terrible. The admiral all this time kept his 
mainsail lowered, so that the vessel might rise from 
among the waves which washed over it, and which 
threatened to sink it. The admiral followed, at first, 
the direction of east-northeast, and afterwards due 
northeast. He sailed about six hours in this direction, 
and thus made seven leagues and a half. He gave 
orders that every sailor should draw lots as to who 
should make a pilgrimage to Sainte-Marie of Guade- 
loupe, to carry her a five-pound wax candle. And each 
one took a vow that he to whom the lot fell should 
make the pilgrimage. For this purpose, he gave orders 
to take as many dry peas as there were persons in the 
ship, and to cut, with a knife, a cross upon one of them, 
and to put them all into a bag, and to shake them up 
well. The first who put his hand in was the admiral. 
He drew out the dry pea marked with the cross ; so it 
was upon him that the lot fell, and he regarded himself, 
after that, as a pilgrim, and was obliged to carry into 
effect the vow which he had thus taken. They drew 
lots a second time, to select a person to go as pilgrim to 
Our Lady of Lorette, which is within the boundaries of 
Ancona, making a part of the States of the church; it is 
a place where the Holy Virgin has worked and con- 
tinues to work many and great miracles. The lot hav- 
ing fallen this time upon a sailor of the harbor of Sainte- 
Marie, named Pedro de Villa, the admiral promised 
to give him all the money necessary for the expenses of 
this pious journey. He decided that a third pilgrim 



14 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

should be sent to watch one night at Sainte Clare of 
Moguer, and to have a mass said there. For this pur- 
pose, they again shook up the dry peas, not forgetting 
that one which was marked with the cross, and the lot fell 
once again to the admiral himself. He then took, as did 
all his crew, the vow that, on the first shore which they 
might reach, they would go in their shirts, in a proces- 
sion, to make a prayer in some church in invocation of 
Our Lady. 

Besides the general vows, or those taken by all in 
common, each man made his own special vow, because 
nobody expected to escape. The storm which they 
experienced was so terrible, that all regarded them- 
selves as lost ; what increased the danger was the cir- 
cumstance that the vessel lacked ballast, because the 
consumption of food, water, and wine had much dimin- 
ished the load. The hope of the continuance of 
weather as fine as that which they had experienced in 
all the islands, was the reason why the admiral had not 
provided his vessel with the proper amount of ballast. 
Moreover, his plan had been to ballast it in the Women's 
Island, whither he had from the first determined to go. 
The remedy which the admiral employed was to fill 
with sea-water, as soon as this could be done, all the 
empty barrels which had previously held either wine 
or fresh water; in this way the difficulty was rem- 
edied. 

The admiral tells here the reasons for not fearing that 
our Saviour would allow him to become the victim of 
this tempest, and the reasons which made him hope that 
God would come to his assistance, and cause him to 
arrive safe and sound, so that intelligence such as that 
which he was conveying to the king and queen would 
not perish with him. The strong desire which he had to 
be the bearer of intelligence so important, and to prove 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 1 5 

the truth of all which he had said, and that all which 
he had tried to discover had really been discovered, 
seemed to contribute precisely to inspire him with the 
greatest fear that he could not succeed. He confessed, 
himself, that every mote that passed before his eyes 
was enough to annoy and trouble him ; he attributed 
this feebleness on his part to his little faith, and his lack 
of confidence in Divine Providence. On the other hand, 
he was reanimated by the favors which God had shown 
him in granting to him so great a triumph as that which 
he had achieved in all his discoveries, in fulfilling all 
his wishes, and in granting that, after having experi- 
enced in Castile so many rebuffs and disappointments, 
all his hopes should at last be more than surpassed. In 
one word, as this Sovereign Master of the universe had 
in the outset distinguished him in granting all his 
requests, before he had carried out his expedition for 
God's greatest glory, and before it had succeeded, he 
was compelled to believe now that God would preserve 
him to complete the work which he had begun. 



For which reasons he said he ought to have had no 
fear of the tempest that was raging. But his weakness 
and anguish did not leave him a moment's calm. He 
* also said that his greatest grief was the thought of 
leaving his two boys orphans. They were at Cordova, 
at their studies. What would become of them in a 
strange land, without father or mother ? * For the king 
and queen being ignorant of the services he had ren- 
dered them in this voyage, and of the good news which 
he was bringing to them, would not be bound by any 

* Don Diego and Don Fernando Colomb, whom he left in Spain, 
where they were pages to Prince Don Juan, when he undertook a 
second voyage. 



10 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

consideration to serve as their protectors. Full of this 
thought, he sought, even in the storm, some means of ap- 
prising their Highnesses of the 'victory which the Lord 
had granted him, in permitting him to discover in the 
Indies all which he had sought in his voyage, and to 
let them know that these coasts are free from storms, 
which is proved, he said, by the growth of herbage and 
trees even to the edge of the sea. With this purpose, 
that if he perished in this tempest the king and the 
queen might have some news of his voyage, he took 
a parchment and wrote on it all that he could of 
his discoveries, and urgently begged that whoever 
found it would carry it to the king and queen. He 
rolled up this parchment in a piece of waxed linen, 
closed this parcel hermetically, and tied it up securely ; 
he had brought to him a large wooden barrel, within 
which he placed it, without anybody's knowing what 
it was. Everybody thought the proceeding was some 
act of devotion. He then caused it to be thrown into 
the sea. The sudden and heavy showers, and the 
squalls which followed some time afterwards, changed 
the wind, which turned to the west. He placed himself 
in the stern, and sailed thus during five hours with the 
foresail only, having always the troubled sea, and made 
at once two leagues and a half towards the northeast. 
He had lowered the main- topmast lest a wave might : 
carry it away. 

Friday, Ftb. 15. — Yesterday, after sunset, the sky 
began to show itself clean towards the western side 
of the horizon. It seemed that the wind was about to 
rise on that side. The admiral caused the studding-sails # 

* They give the name of "bonnette" to the piece of sail or to 
the little sail which divides the miriane (foresail) one third of the 
way up, on the mainsail one quarter way up, and it is connected 
with the mainsail or the other by means of gaskets passed through 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 17 

to be set on the mainsail ; the sea was still very heavy 
and very rough, but was becoming a little smoother. 
The ship made four miles an hour in the direction of 
east-northeast; that is to say, thirteen leagues during 
thirteen hours of the night. At sunrise the crew saw 
land ahead. It seemed to them to be at the east- 
northeast ; some of them said it was the island of 
Madeira, others that it was the rock of Cintra in Por- 
tugal, near Lisbon. The wind was not slow to change 
to the east-northeast by the prow, and the sea was 
coming very heavy from the weft ; there was almost five 
leagues' distance between the tender and the land. The 
admiral, according to his reckoning, considered his 
position to be among the Azores Islands, and thought 
that what he saw was one of them ; the pilots and the 
sailors thought themselves already, according to their 
belief, near the coast of Castile. 

Saturday, Feb. 16. — The admiral sailed back and 
forth all this night, in order not to lose the land, 
which he recognized already as an island ; he took his 
course sometimes towards the northeast, sometimes 
towards the north-northeast, and sp kept on until sun- 
rise, when he took a southerly course to arrive at the 
island, which, in the great darkness, he could no longer 
see ; he caught sight from the stern of another island, 
which he conjectured to be eight leagues distant. From 
sunrise to nightfall he did nothing but beat about, in 

eyelets of reefs, so as to move more quickly when the weather is 
good, or when there is little wind. M. F. de Nav. 

The "bonnette " is a light sail which is used or not, at pleasure, 
says M. le Vice-Admiral Willaumez ; it is a small sail which can be 
hoisted upon the yards on the wind side to increase the size of the 
sails, and even can be hoisted on both sides at once, when the ves- 
sel has the wind behind. The " bonnettes " are fastened behind 
the topsails or outriggers connected in front with each of the yard- 
arms ; they can be lowered or hoisted at will. D. L. R. 



1 8 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

spite of the stormy wind and heavy sea, in order to 
arrive. 

At the hour of the Salve, which is said at the begin- 
ning of the night, the sailors saw a light which seemed 
to be on the side against the wind, and they thought 
that this must mark the position of the island which 
they had seen the night before. The admiral passed 
all the night in beating to the windward, coming as near 
as he could, to see, if at sunrise, he could see any of 
these islands. This night the admiral took a little rest, 
because since Wednesday he bad neither slept nor been 
able to sleep. He was stiff in his limbs because he had 
been exposed to the cold and water all the time, and 
had taken very little food. At daybreak * he sailed 
towards the south-southwest, and at night-time arrived 
at the island ; but the darkness was so great that he 
could not know what island it was. 

Monday, Feb. 18. — Yesterday, after sunset, he made 
the round of the island to see where it was best to 
anchor and to obtain information. The anchor was 
lost as soon as it was dropped; he betook himself, 
accordingly, to the sail, and tacked all night. After sun- 
rise he arrived a second time on the northern side of 
the island, secured his position with a new anchor in 
the place which seemed to him most convenient, and 
sent the shallop to the shore. His people spoke to the 
inhabitants of the island, and learned from them that it 
was Sainte-Marie, one of the Azores. These last (the 
inhabitants) pointed out the harbor f where they ought 
to unload, told them that they had never seen a storm so 
terrible as that which took place fifteen days before, and 
that they were much astonished that they had escaped. 

* This was Sunday, February 17. M. F. de Nav. 
t It is the harbor of Saint Lawrence (San Laurent). 

MF.de Nav. 






COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 1 9 

The admiral said that these islanders gave God great 
thanks, and showed great signs of joy when they learned 
that he had discovered the Indies ; he added that his 
navigation had been very sure and his reckoning very 
exact, — a little in advance, even ; for this accordingly he 
gave great thanks to God, but he thought it certain that 
he was in the neighborhood of the Azores, and that the 
island he saw was one of the group. He said that he 
had pretended to come farther, in order to contradict 
and make false the reckoning of the pilots and sailors, 
in order to remain, as in point of fact he did remain, 
master of this route to the Indies, for none of them 
either knew or established his route in a manner cer- 
tain, so that there is none of them who could be certain 
of the route to the Indies. 

Tuesday, Feb. 19. — After sunset three men of the 
island came to the shore and called ; the admiral 
sent them the shallop in which they came out with 
chickens and fresh bread ; it was a feast day. They 
brought, also, many other things, which the captain of 
the island, named Juan de Casteneda, sent to the admi- 
ral, whom he said he knew well. He did not come to 
see him, because it was dark, but he announced that at 
daybreak he would come to him with fresh provisions, 
and that he would bring with him three men belonging 
to the ship who had remained on the island, and 
whom he had kept in order to enjoy the pleasure of 
hearing them tell the circumstances of their voyage. 
The admiral gave orders for the very honorable recep- 
tion of the messengers from the governor, and gave 
them beds on board, so that they might pass the night 
there, because it was already late, and the town was 
distant. As on Thursday last, finding himself in the 
height of the storm, they had made, besides other vows 
already mentioned, that of going in their shirts in a 



20 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

procession to offer prayers on the first land where theie 
was a church under the protection of Our Lady, he 
resolved that half of the crew should go to carry into 
effect the aforesaid vow, to a hermitage which was sit- 
uated on the shore of the sea, and that he would follow 
himself, with the other half of the crew. Certain that 
he was perfectly safe upon this island, and full of con- 
fidence in the offers of the captain, and also, since peace 
reigned between Portugal and Castile, he begged the 
three men to go to the town and to send for a priest to 
say mass for them. Half of the crew went accordingly, 
in their shirts, to the hermitage, to discharge their vow 
of pilgrimage ; but at the moment when they were at 
prayer, all the islanders, some on foot, some on horse- 
back, with their captain at their head, attacked them 
suddenly and made them all prisoners. The admiral 
entertained no sort of suspicion, up to eleven o'clock in 
the morning, and he awaited the return of the shallop 
to go, in his turn, to fulfil his vow with the other half of 
the people ; but finding that those who set forth first 
did not return, he suspected that they were detained, 
or that the shallop was wrecked, because the whole 
island is surrounded by high rocks. Not having seen 
what took place, because the hermitage was behind a 
point, he weighed anchor, put everything in order, and 
took his course directly towards the place. He was not 
slow to observe a considerable number of men on horse- 
back, who dismounted, and went fully armed on board 
the shallop, and took their course towards the car- 
avel to get possession of it. The captain stood up in 
the middle of the shallop and asked the admiral to 
guarantee his personal safety ; the admiral answered 
that he granted it, but asked him, in return, why none 
of his people were to be seen in the shallop, and added 
that he begged him to come nearer and come on 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 21 

board the caravel, and that he would do whatever he 
wanted. The plan of the admiral was to attract him 
by kind words, so that he might capture him and res- 
cue his men ; and he did not think that in taking this 
course he broke the promise of safe-conduct which he 
had given to the Portuguese officer, because the latter 
had himself broken the offers of peace and safety which 
he had made. As the captain had a treacherous plan, 
he did not risk himself by entering. The admiral, see- 
ing that he did not come nearer to the caravel, asked 
him to explain why he detained his crew, adding that 
the king of Portugal would regret the proceeding ; that 
the Portuguese people were warmly welcomed in the 
states of the king of Castile ; that they had the entry 
there easily enough, and were as safe there as in Lisbon 
itself ; that the king and queen of Castile had given 
him letters of introduction for all the princes, lords, and 
men of the world, — letters which he would show him if 
he liked to come and see them ; that he was under their 
appointment, admiral of the ocean and viceroy of the 
Indies, which now belonged to their Highnesses, of 
which he could show him the terms and letters royal, 
signed with their names and authenticated by their 
seals. In point of fact he actually did display these 
proofs at a distance, adding that the king and queen of 
Castile were on the most friendly and intimate relations 
with the king of Portugal ; that they had directed him 
to treat the Portuguese vessels with as much distinction 
as possible when they happened to come in his way. 
He said also that, supposing he would not surrender 
the men, the admiral would not on that account be 
prevented from going to Castile, because he still had a 
large enough crew to work his vessel as far as Seville, 
and that if the captain persisted in this disagreeable 
course, he himself, as well as all his men, would be 



22 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

severely punished. The captain and those in his company- 
answered by saying that here they cared neither for the 
king nor the queen of Castile, nor for any of their letters ; 
that they feared neither king nor queen ; and they added, 
almost with threats, that they would make them under- 
stand what Portugal was. It was very disagreeable to 
the admiral to hear these words. They gave him rea- 
son to believe that since he sailed some differences 
might have arisen between the two kingdoms, and he 
could not bear that anybody should answer him in so 
unreasonable a manner. He could not fail to observe, 
moreover, that the captain on the other side again 
removed himself to a distance, and told the admiral to 
go to the harbor with his caravel, and that as for him- 
self and for all that he had done or could do, he acted 
under the orders of the king, his master. 

The admiral had for witnesses of this proceeding all 
the men who were on board the caravel. He sum- 
moned anew the captain on the other side and all his 
crew to give their parole, and assured them that he 
would not disembark from his caravel before he has 
seized a hundred Portuguese to carry to Castile, nor 
before he had depopulated the whole island. After 
which he returned to anchor in the harbor where he 
was before, because the weather and the wind were too 
unfavorable to allow him to do anything else. 

Wednesday, Feb. 20. — The admiral had every- 
thing put in order on board his vessel, and had the 
water-barrels filled with sea-water to ballast it, because 
he was in a very bad harbor, and had apprehensions 
that the people on the other side might perhaps cut his 
anchor-chains ; a thing which in point of fact actually 
happened afterwards, in consequence of which he set 
sail for the islands of Saint Michel, although there is 
not, among all the islands of the Azores, a good harbor 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 2$ 

for such weather as is now prevailing ; but there was no 
other course open to him than to take flight to the open 
sea. 

Thursday, Feb. 21. — The admiral sailed yesterday 
from the island of Sainte-Marie \ to go to the island 
of Saint Michel, to see if he could find a harbor there 
which would be safe in such bad weather as is now pre- 
vailing. In spite of the violence of the wind and the 
heaviness of the sea, he sailed until nightfall, without 
catching a glimpse of land on either side, on account of 
the fogs and the darkness arising from the wind and the 
sea. 

The admiral said he was very much annoyed because 
he had not more than three sailors left who knew the 
sea, and that all the other people whom he had with 
him were new to the art of sailing. He continued to 
lay-to all night, exposed to the imminent dangers of a 
frightful storm. Happily, thank God, the sea, and what 
is more to the purpose, the waves, were not unfavorable 
except on one side ; for if the vessel took the cross 
direction, as in the preceding storm, it would have had 
a harder time. After sunrise, the island of Saint 
Michel not being in sight, the admiral determined to 
return to the island of Sainte-Marie, to see if he could 
recover his sailors, and also the shallop, and whatever 
might be left of the anchors. 

The admiral said that he was surprised to have found 
such bad weather among these islands and in their 
neighborhood ; because in the Indies, where he had 
sailed all this winter without getting wet, the weather 
had always been very fine, and the sea had not failed 
for a single hour to be navigable, without exposing him 
to any danger, while now he had just escaped a hor- 
rible storm. He asked the people about him to take 
notice of the circumstance, he had had experience of a 



24 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

storm nearly like it after leaving Spain, before arriving 
among the Canary Islands, but that, after passing those 
islands, he had always found both the wind and the sea 
in the greatest calm. The admiral finished his remarks 
in recalling to the attention of his hearers that the theo- 
logians and wise philosophers have said, with much jus- 
tice, that the earthly paradise is on the edge of the 
east, because it is a region with a very mild climate ; 
moreover, he said the land which he had just discovered 
was on the edge of the east. 

Friday, Feb. 22. — The admiraf dropped anchor yes- 
terday at the island of Sainte-Marie, in the same harbor 
and in the same place where he had anchored the last 
time. Immediately thereupon they sent him a man, who 
got up on a rock opposite the harbor and made signs 
with his cloak (a cofiear*) to* the caravel r to stop its 
course. The shallop was not slow in coming up with 
six sailors, two clergymen, and a notary. They asked 
pledge for their personal safety, and, as soon as the admi- 
ral had granted it to them, they came on board the car- 
avel, and as it was now nightfall they slept on board, 
where the admiral made them as comfortable as possible. 
The next day they asked him to show them his credentials 
from the king and queen of Castile, so as to prove that 
he was sailing under their orders. The admiral under- 
stood that they took this course in order to be able to 
justify their previous proceedings, and to get rid of 
every suspicion of wrong; and because they had not 
been able to make a prisoner of himself personally, 
which was their plan when they came with an armed 
shallop. When they saw they had gained nothing by 
this proceeding, they wished to repair their culpable 
want of fidelity, fearing that the admiral might hang 

* Copear (Spanish), to make a sign with a cloak, to hail. 



COLUMBUS S FIRST VOYAGE. 2$ 

them, as in fact he had thought of doing, and which he 
could have done, in view of the threats which he had 
made to them, and which had inspired some fears in 
them. The admiral, to get back those of his sailors 
who were in the power of the. other side, was willing to 
show them the circular of the king and queen, author- 
ized to be shown to all princes and men of prominence, 
and was also willing to show them the other credentials, 
including the letters of the king which he had with him, 
and these he placed in their hands. They were satis- 
fied, and returned to the land, leaving behind them the 
shallop and all the sailors who had rowed them out. 
The admiral was told by these sailors that if they had 
happened to take him prisoner they would never have 
set him free, because their captain felt sure that these 
were the orders of the king, his master. 

Saturday, Feb. 23. — Yesterday the weather began 
to be better ; the admiral weighed anchor and circum- 
navigated the island in search of a good anchorage, and 
to obtain wood and stone to ballast his vessel. He did 
not succeed in finding an anchorage until the evening, 
somewhat before the hour of compline. 

Sunday, Feb. 24. — The admiral anchored last even- 
ing to take on board wood and stone, but as the sea was 
very rough, the shallop could not get to land. At the 
end of the first quarter of the night, a wind from the 
south and southwest began to blow ; the admiral gave 
orders to get everything ready, in view of the great dan- 
ger which exists among these islands, of awaiting at 
anchor while the south wind blows, and because the 
southwest wind, when it blows, is always immediately 
followed by the south wind. The weather being favor- 
able for a voyage to Castile, he abandoned the plan of 
taking on board wood and stone, and steered towards the 
east, and proceeded slowly until sunrise, a period of 



26 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

six hours and a half, which, at the rate of seven miles 
an hour, is equal to fifty-five miles and a half. From 
sunrise to sunset he made progress at the rate of six 
miles an hour, which amounts, in eleven hours, to sixty- 
six miles, which, added to the fifty-five and a half of the 
night-time, make a total of one hundred and eleven 
miles and a half, or twenty-eight leagues. 

Monday, Feb. 25. — Yesterday, after sunset, the 
admiral continued to follow his course to the east, 
over a sea, thanks to God, smooth, and the same in all 
directions ; he advanced at the rate of eight miles an 
hour during the greater part of the night, and accom- 
plished one hundred miles, or twenty-five leagues. After 
sunrise the wind slackened ; he tried a slanting course 
towards the east-northeast, and scarcely made eight 
leagues in that direction. 

Wednesday, Feb. 27. — All last night, and all the day 
following, the admiral was pushed from his course by 
contrary winds, the strength of the waves, and the rough- 
ness of the sea. He found himself at a distance of one 
hundred and twenty-five leagues from Cape Saint Vin- 
cent, eighty leagues from the island of Madeira, and one 
hundred and six from the island of Sainte-Marie ; he 
was very much annoyed that so violent a storm had 
come up against his course, putting him in danger 
almost at the moment of reaching harbor. 

Thursday, Feb. 28. — The admiral sailed this night 
in the same way as the night preceding, encountering 
many changes of wind, and veered to the south and 
southwest, sometimes on one side, sometimes on the 
other ; in short, sometimes for a few moments to the 
northeast and east-northeast ; in this way he passed the 
whole day. 

Friday, March 1. — To-night the admiral pursued the 
course in the direction east-quarter-northeast, in which 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 27 

he got over twelve leagues of distance ; during the day 
he proceeded twenty-three leagues and a half in the 
same general direction. 

Saturday, March 2. — To-night the admiral pur- 
sued the course in the direction east-quarter-northeast, 
in which he got over twenty-eight leagues in the night, 
and twenty in the daytime. 

Sunday, March 3. — After sunset, the admiral 
pushed the course to the east ; there arose a flurry 
of wind that tore all his sails, and put him in imminent 
danger ; but God was good enough to save him. He 
caused the crew to draw lots to send to Notre Dame de 
la Cintra, at the island of Huelra, a pilgrim who should 
come there in his shirt ; the lot fell upon himself. All 
the crew, including the admiral, vowed to fast on bread 
and water on the first Saturday which should come after 
the arrival of the vessel. He had proceeded sixty miles 
before the sails were broken ; then they went under 
masts and shrouds, on account of the unusual strength 
of the wind, and the roughness of the sea, which pushed 
them almost on all sides. They saw indications of the 
nearness of the land ; they were, in fact, very near 
Lisbon. 

Monday, March 4. — The caravel suffered very 
much last night ; the waves, which pressed her on both 
sides, seemed strong enough to sink her ; the winds 
seemed to lift her into the air, rain fell in floods, 
and flashes of lightning lighted up the clouds. The 
sight was frightful ; but it pleased our Lord to help the 
admiral, and to show him the land, which the sailors 
saw after the first quarter, when, so as not to arrive on 
shore without knowing what land it was, nor without 
being sure that he could find a harbor or some other 
place where he could be at ease and save himself, he 
got the mainsail in readiness, having no other means 



28 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

for advancing a short distance, in spite of the great 
danger which attended hoisting sail ; but God pro- 
tected them until daylight, although they passed the 
night in bitter anguish and in the fear of shipwreck. 
As soon as the day broke, the admiral knew the land, 
which was the rock of Cintra, situated near the river of 
Lisbon, into which he determined to enter, because he 
had no other safe way ; so horrible was the fear which 
seized the city of Cascaes, situated at the mouth of the 
river, he said that the inhabitants of this seaport were 
engaged all this morning in praying for them, and that 
when they had entered the river the whole population 
came out to see them, regarding it as a miracle that 
they should thus have escaped the danger which had 
threatened them. About three o'clock he passed near 
to Rastelo, situated in the middle of the river of Lis- 
bon, where he learned, from the seafaring men who 
were there, that there had never been a winter so fer- 
tile to showers, that twenty-five vessels had been lost on 
the coasts of Planders, and that there were others in 
the harbor of this province which, for four months, had 
been unable to get out. The admiral wrote immediately 
to the king of Portugal, who was nine leagues distant, to 
say that the king and the queen of Castile had directed 
him not to fail to enter the harbor of his Highness to 
buy in them whatever he might have need of; he 
begged the king to give him authority to proceed to 
the city of Lisbon with his caravel, so that robbers 
thinking that he was carrying a quantity of gold, might, 
not take advantage of the circumstance that he was in 
a harbor with a small population, to commit some theft. 
It was the purpose of his letter, also, to inform his 
Highness that he did not come from Guinea, but in fact 
from the Indies. 
Tuesday, March 5. — To-day Bartholomew Diaz, from 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 29 

Lisbon, commander of the great ship of the king of 
Portugal, which was also at anchor at Rastelo, and who 
was, the admiral said, better equipped with artillery and 
other arms than he had ever seen any one before, came 
on an armed shallop and boarded the caravel, and sum- 
moned the admiral to come on board his boat and give 
account to the business agents of the king, and to the cap- 
tain of the said vessel. The admiral answered that he 
was admiral of the king and of the queen of Castile, and 
that he had no account of this kind to give to officers 
of such rank, and that he would not leave the boats or 
the vessels in which he now was, at least not unless he 
was obliged to do so by force of arms. The commander, 
answering in return, told him to send the master of the 
caravel. The admiral replied that neither the master 
nor any other person whatever should leave the ship 
unless compelled by force, because he thought that to 
allow one of the men on board his ship to go there, or 
to go there himself, amounted to the same thing ; and 
that the custom of the admirals of the king of Castile 
was to die rather than to surrender themselves or to 
deliver up any of their men. The commander mod- 
erated his pretensions, and answered, that since the 
admiral had come to this determination he was free 
to go wherever seemed best to him, but that he begged 
him to show him the letters of the king of Castile, if he 
had them. The admiral was good enough to show 
these letters to him, and the ambassador returned 
immediately to his own boat, and made a report to the 
captain, who was named Alvaro Dama. The last-named 
went then to the caravel in the best order, to the sound 
of kettle-drums, trumpets, and fifes. He treated the 
admiral with a great deal of consideration, entertaining 
him for some time with himself, and offered him to do 
for him everything he might ask. 



30 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Wednesday, March 6. — As the news spread that 
the admiral had arrived from the Indies, so many per- 
sons came to-day from the city of Lisbon to see this 
navigator and the Indians, that it was a surprising 
thing. What was not less surprising was the strange 
expressions by which everybody manifested his aston- 
ishment. They gave thanks to our Lord, and said that 
the great faith of the kings of Castile, and the desire 
they had shown to serve God, were the reasons why his 
Divine Majesty had brought them this success. 

Friday, March 8. — The admiral received to-day, by 
the hands of Don Martin de Norona, a letter from the 
king of Portugal, in which this sovereign begged him to 
come and visit him in the place where he was, since the 
weather prevented him from leaving with his caravel. 
The admiral, although he entertained some slight sus- 
picions respecting it, nevertheless accepted this invita- 
tion, so as to avoid every suspicion, and he went to 
Sacauben to sleep. The king ordered his agents to give 
to the admiral, without taking payment for it, every- 
thing that the admiral required for his own use, for that 
of his crew, and for his ship, and to do everything he 
asked. 

Saturday, March g. — The admiral left Sacauben to- 
day to go to visit the king in the valley of Paraiso, sit- 
uated nine leagues from Lisbon, where the prince then 
was. As it rained all day he was prevented from arriv- 
ing at the residence of the Portuguese monarch until 
the beginning of night. This prince directed the princi- 
pal officers of his household to receive the admiral with 
much honor, and gave him a very honorable reception ; 
he entertained great respect for him, made him sit 
down, addressed him with great affability, and told him 
that he would give orders to have everything done for 
him that would be of use to the kings of Castile, and of 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 31 

use to their service, with even more exactness than if it 
were for his own service. He declared that the happy- 
success of the voyage gave him a great deal of pleasure ; 
that he was delighted that it had been undertaken, but 
that since the treaty made between him and the kings 
of Castile, it seemed to him that this discovery and 
conquest belonged to him. The admiral answered to 
this that he had not seen this treaty, and that the only 
thing he knew was that the kings of Castile had directed 
him not to go to the gold mine nor to any part of 
Guinea, and that their Highnesses had caused this order 
to be made public in all the harbors of Andalusia before 
he set forth on his voyage. The king graciously an 
swered him that there was no need of mediators between 
their Highnesses and himself to settle this matter. He 
gave for host the prior of Clato, who was the most con- 
siderable personage among all those who were at this 
residence. This lord gave a most cordial welcome to 
the admiral, and showed him the greatest attention. 

Sunday, March 10. — To-day, after the mass, the 
king repeated to the admiral that if he had occasion of 
anything, he would cause it to be given to him at once. 
He talked with him a long time about his voyage, and 
asked him always to remain seated, overwhelming him 
with acts of politeness. 

Monday, Afarch 1 1. — To-day the admiral took leave 
of the king, who told him many things that he might 
report to the king of Castile, showing him, at the same 
time, a great deal of good-will. The admiral went away 
after dinner. The king caused him to be accompanied 
by Don Martin de Norofia, and all the personages of 
distinction who were at the court accompanied him on 
his return journey, and remained a long time with him, 
to show him honor. The admiral went immediately to 
a monastery of Saint Antony, situated near a village 



33 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

called Villafranca, where he found the queen ; he pro- 
ceeded to offer his homage to this princess, and to kiss 
her hands, because she had caused him to be asked not 
to go away without seeing her. The queen, as well as 
the Duke and the Marquis of Villafranca, who were with 
her, received the admiral in the most honorable manner. 
It was already night when the admiral left to go to pass 
the night at Llandra. 

Tuesday, March 12. — At the moment when the 
admiral was ready to quit Llandra to return to his cara- 
vel, there arrived an equerry of the king, who told him 
that if he liked to go by land to Castile, his Highness 
had directed him to accompany him, to furnish him with 
lodgings, with horses, and everything he had need of. 
When the admiral parted company with this equerry, 
the latter sent, on the part of the king, a mule for him- 
self and another for his pilot, whom he had brought 
with him. The admiral adds that he was informed that 
this equerry made a present to the pilot of twenty 
espadinee, and he observed that they said that he 
could not be overwhelmed with so many marks of kind- 
ness on the part of their Highnesses, unless the king 
and the queen were informed of the circumstance. He 
did not reach his caravel until during the night-time. 

Wednesday, March 13. — The admiral to-day weighed 
the anchors at eight o'clock in the mornmg, by the high 
tide, and with the wind north-northwest, and set sail 
to go to Seville. 

Thursday, March 14. — Yesterday, after sunset, he 
continued his course towards the south, and found him- 
self before morning off Cape Saint Vincent, which is in 
Portugal ; he sailed immediately towards the east, to 
get to Saltes, and had nothing but a soft wind during 
the whole day, up to the moment of his arrival at the 
summit of Furon. 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 33 

Friday, March 15. — Yesterday, at the end of the 
day, the admiral continued his route, with a wind still 
weak and soft; at sunrise he was at the summit of 
Saltes, and he entered about noon, with the rising tide, 
by the bar of Saltes, as far as this harbor, which he had 
left the 3d of August in the preceding year. Here, 
he says, he finishes in this way this narrative, although 
it had been his plan to go by sea to Barcelona, where 
they told him were their Highnesses, and this with the 
purpose of telling them the history of his whole voyage, 
which our Lord, who had inspired him with the idea, had 
permitted him to finish well ; for he knew, and was 
firmly persuaded of the fact, without the slightest doubt 
mixing with his conviction, that God does everything 
which is good, and that everything he does is far re- 
moved from sin, and nobody can think of or judge 
about anything without his consent. " More than this," 
said the admiral, " I see by this voyage that God has 
wonderfully proved what I say, as anybody may con- 
vince himself, by reading this narrative, by the signal 
wonders which he has worked during the course of my 
voyage, and in favor of myself, who have been for so 
long a time at the court of your Highnesses, in opposi- 
tion and contrary to the opinions of so many distin- 
guished personages of your household, who all opposed 
me, treating my project as a dream, and my undertaking 
as a chimera ; and I hope still, nevertheless, in our 
Lord, this voyage will bring the greatest honor to Chris- 
tianity, although it has been performed with so much 
ease." 

These are the last words of the admiral Christopher 
Columbus, in the narrative of his first voyage to the 
West Indies, when he went to make the discovery of 
them. 

The present narrative is a copy of that which exists, 



34 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

written with his own hand by the Bishop Bartholomew, 
of Las Casas, in the archives of his Excellency Mon- 
seigneur the Duke of Infantado, forming a small volume 
in folio, bound in parchment, and containing seventy-six 
leaves in a handwriting very fine and very concise. 
There is in the same archives another old copy, a little 
later than that of the Bishop Bartholomew, of Las 
Casas, also in folio, bound in the same manner, and 
composed of one hundred and forty leaves. These two 
copies have been all the time under our eyes in the 
close comparison which we have made between them 
and ours ; we the geography-writer-in -chief of the Indies, 
Don Juan Bantista Munoz and I, this twenty-seventh 
February, 1791. 

(Signed) 

Martin Fernandez de Navarrete. 



When the reading was done, Stephen asked how the 
people of Europe found out what had happened. " As 
Horace says," said he, "there were no newspapers, and 
no interviewers." 

Uncle Fred asked one of the boys to bring him a 
great folio, which was in the "precious case," — the 
one glass-doored case in the room. The young people 
knew that this had the curiosities. 

"This book," said he, "is the Psalter in Latin. It 
was printed a very few years after Columbus's return. 
See where this mark is, — that shows a note, which is 
the first mention in the general literature of the world 
of the discovery. It is at the verse where our Bibles 
read, "Their line is gone out through all the earth, 
and their words to the end of the world." 

The young people puzzled over the Latin, and Uncle 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 35 

Fred helped them. The next week, Laura brought 
him the translation which follows. He told them all, 
that as soon as Columbus had been presented at court, 
his " Letter to the Sovereigns," now a most precious 
pamphlet, was printed. It was by the circulation of 
that letter that the great news was first made known. 

From the "Justinian Psalter" 
" THEIR LINE IS GONE OUT THROUGH ALL THE WORLD." 

"In our times, indeed, in which, by the wonderful dar- 
ing of Christopher Columbus, a native of Genoa, almost 
a second world has been discovered and added to 
the company of Christians. And as Columbus often 
declared that he was chosen by God to fulfil this 
prophecy, I do not think it amiss to insert his life at 
this passage. Christopher, then, surnamed Columbus, 
a Genoese by birth, the son of mean parents, was he, 
who, in our age, by his own perseverance, explored, in a 
few months, more of the sea and land than almost all 
the rest of mankind in all the ages of the past. A won- 
derful thing, but now made certain by the testimony 
not only of ships, but of fleets and armies returning 
thence. He learned the first elements while a boy ; as 
he grew up, he studied navigation, and then, after his 
brother had gone to Portugal and established at Lis- 
bon the business of painting charts for the use of 
sailors, depicting seas, and harbors, and shores, he 
learned from him the bays and islands as he had 
received them from the large number of voyagers, who 
sailed annually, at the royal command, to explore the 
unvisited shores of the ^Ethiopians, and the remote 
parts of the ocean between the south and west. 
Christopher often conversed with these travellers, and 



36 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

compared what he learned from them with the repre- 
sentations which he had pondered over in the maps 
and read in the cosmographers ; and he thus at last 
came to the opinion that whoever should leave the 
shore of Africa, where it trends towards the south, and 
sail straight, between the west and the south, in a few 
months would either discern some island or the ex- 
treme lands of the Indies. When he had well learned 
these things from his brother, and seriously studied 
them out himself, he showed to some of the nobility of 
the king of Spain that it was in his mind, if the king 
would only furnish the necessary means, to penetrate 
regions unknown, and come upon new people and new 
lands more quickly than the Portuguese. Knowledge 
of this comes quickly to the king, who, excited both by 
emulation of the Portuguese, and by desire of new dis- 
coveries of this kind, and of the glory which would 
come to him and his posterity for such a discovery, 
after long dealings with Columbus, orders two ships 
to be fitted out, in which Columbus sails to the 
Fortunate Islands. [Then] he sailed by a course a 
little to the left of a western line, between southwest 
and west, yet far more distant from the southwest and 
very near the west. When he had sailed many days, 
and it was known by computation that he had advanced 
four thousand miles in the direct course, the others lost 
all hope ; they insisted that they ought now to turn and 
sail back again. But he persisted in his undertaking, 
and promised, as much as he could by conjecture, that 
they were not more than one day's sail from some conti- 
nents or islands. Nor were his words untrue ; for the 
next morning, the sailors, seeing some unknown lands, 
announced it to him with praises, and placed the utmost 
faith in his declarations. The islands were, as afterwards 
appeared, almost innumerable, not far from certain lands 



COLUMBUS'S FIRST VOYAGE. 37 

which had the appearance of continents. . . . [On his 
return] all the princes throng to meet him coming, and 
he is received with great joy as the discoverer of a new 
world. Without delay, other ships are prepared, far 
exceeding the first in number and in size, and filled with 
every kind of store. For Spain sends her poisons to the 
innocent world, vestments of silk and gold are heaped 
in, and, not satisfied with triumphing over this world of 
ours, she sends her luxuries to pure and innocent races. 
The woods, which could scarce satisfy our gluttony, 
almost exhausted by our incessant hunting, yet send 
their boars and their swine to the most distant shores 
to fill bellies ignorant of them before." 



II. 

THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 

WHEN the Columbus reading was over, the young 
people fell to talking with Col. Ingham about 
that great age of discovery, and lamenting, as young 
men of spirit always do, that in our times there are no 
worlds left to discover. Stephen said that if it were 
only a cocoanut-covered reef in the Pacific, he would 
rather have his name given to that than to any patent 
in the Patent Office. 

" Stephen's Island, — how nicely that would sound ! " 
said Fanchon, who likes to twit him a little. 

" And how the scholars at school would hate you," 
said Alice. " Imagine Mr. Weston asking, — ' Jones, 
what are the principal islands in the Southern Pacific ? ' 
And Jones says, ' Australia, once called New Holland ; 
Tasmania, once called Van Diemen's Land ; and New 
Zealand.' Then Mr. Weston says, ' One more, Jones.' 
And Jones hates the day he was bom. And Smith 
does not know, and Brown does not know, — nobody 
knows till that hateful Jane Robinson puts up her hand, 
and says, ' Stephen's Island.' And then Mr. Weston 
says, 'Yes, always accurate, Miss Robinson,' and she 
gets fourteen thousand credits and goes to the head. I 
am glad I was out of school before you discovered your 
old island." 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 39 

Still the boys all agreed that they should like to have 
islands of their own. Some of them, when they were 
small, had gone to Mrs. Heard's school, and had 
heard her describe her husband's discovery of Heard's 
Island ; and they repeated what she had told them. 
There was hardly one of them who was not sorry he 
had not been able to go off with Kane or Hayes to 
try for the great Polar Ocean and the North Pole. 

" I do not understand," said Will Withers, " what all 
this in the newspapers means about Prof. Nordenskiold, 
if that is his name, discovering the northeastern passage 
to the Pacific. I thought that passage had been down 
on the maps for a hundred years." 

Then Col. Ingham explained to them that as soon as 
the real proportions of the continents were made out, in 
the great century after Columbus, the navigating nations 
of Europe all observed that it would be much shorter 
for them to pass round the north of Asia to India, than 
to go round the Cape of Good Hope. Very resolute 
efforts were made in that direction, but nobody ever 
went through. Still men knew there was a northern 
ocean, because the great Siberian rivers flowed north, and 
must empty somewhere. After the Russian emperors 
became intelligent enough to care about such things, 
they sent overland expeditions down the Asiatic rivers 
to the sea. And sometimes in boats, sometimes in sleds 
over the ice, the explorers, by these expeditions, made 
out the land line as it is on the maps to-day. 

" Why ! that is the same way by which the north land 
line of America was made out, was it not ? " asked Bob 
Edmeston. 

" Just the same," said Uncle Fritz. " After the Eng- 
lish had tired themselves with having their ships frozen 
up all winter, they took a leaf out of the Russian book 
of fifty and more years before. Some of the great 



40 STORIES 7 OLD BY SAILORS. 

northern discoveries have been made on what we should 
call ' wood-sleds.' Well, now," he said, " this Swedish 
professor, in a little steamship, has fairly pushed through 
from European waters to the Pacific. He has circum- 
navigated Asia, and is the first man to do it." 

" Just as Robert McClure was the first man to cir- 
cumnavigate America." 

" Exactly," said Col. Ingham. " I have a letter from 
him in the autograph book, which you will like to see 
some day." 

Will Withers asked where they should find any of 
this northern discover}'. Col. Ingham told them, and 
told them to bring what they liked about it the next 
Saturday. When Saturday came, he asked them what 
they had found. In the northern adventures in the 
axploration of the northeast passage, he had directed 
them to look in the great libraries for " Hakluyt's Voy- 
eges," Purchas's " His Pilgrims," and " Pinkerton's Voy- 
ages." He had said that when they had read these 
through, he would give them some other names. 

" I can never tell, Uncle Fritz, when you mean to sell 
us. But we came to the Boston Public Library — to 
Bates Hall — Steve, and Robert, and I, and Maud and 
Fanchon joined us there. And we sent in our library 
cards so grand for Hakluyt and Purchas and Pinkerton, 
and the nice girl at the desk asked what volumes we 
wanted. I never . was so ashamed. Why, there is 
reading enough in the three to last us ten years." 

'' And pray," said Col Ingham, laughing, " who ever 
said that you were to read through all of these books ? 
Here are some twenty of you. You would have been 
well enough employed if each of you had buckled down 
to a volume, dipped through it, all that afternoon, and 
then had come and told the rest of us where we should 
best read, and where we might forbear." 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 4 l 

The young people laughed in turn, and Horace Fell- 
tham said that that was much what it ended in. He 
and Laura had joined the party at Bates Hall, and they 
had all taken possession of one large, oval table — each 
one with about three volumes — to dip and taste in at 
their pleasure. 

"Bob and I," said he, "got hold of the Hakluyt 
together. It is in old black letter, but we rather liked 
the fun of puzzling it out. And I tried, Uncle Fritz, to 
make them let me take it out and bring it here." 

"I think so," said the old gentleman, quizzically. 
" And what did they say ? " 

11 Say ? They were mighty civil. But, after a good 
many messages back and forth, they gave me to under- 
stand that the King could not have it out. Why, uncle, it 
is a dear old book, with a vengeance, indeed ! . It seemed 
as if it were worth its weight in gold.'* 

" Not in gold, perhaps, my boy, but very near its 
weight in silver.* And what did you do then ? " 

" Do ? Oh, we sat and read and skipped, and 
skipped and read ; but we soon came to the voyages to 
the northeast; there are a great many of them. We 
read the whole of the ' Chancellor Voyage.' " 

" But, Uncle Fritz, what is Hakluyt, or who is Hak- 
luyt, any way ? " 

" Hakluyt ? — his name was Richard Hakluyt. 
Luckily for us, he was just as crazy about voyages 
and adventures as you boys are. And, luckily for us, 

* The boys afterward took down " Lowndes's Bibliographer's 
Manual " from their uncle's shelves. This is a handy book for any 
young book-fancier to have. It costs, in England, about six dollars 
for ten volumes. They found that at recent sales copies of their 
beloved Hakluyt had been sold for nine pounds and seven pounds 
a volume. Nine English pounds of money once meant nine 
pounds' weight of silver. It is now between two and three pounds' 
weight of silver in avoirdupois weight. 



4 2 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

he brought together ever so many pamphlets, which 
were very rare then, and published them in those very 
volumes — those black-letter volumes — that the city 
lets you rummage over. Thank God, boys, that you 
live in a place where they have sense enough to treat 
you so ! To tell the truth, you showed your sense in 
hunting out that account of the Chancellor Voyage. I 
wish the rest could read it." 

Then Robert blushed, well pleased. And he said 
that the second time they went, they prepared them- 
selves for this very service. He read the old black- 
letter to Horace, and Horace wrote down the Chan- 
cellor story in short-hand, and had it here. They had 
had to go two or three times, but they had a good many 
pages of it. 

Col. Ingham was well pleased, also. He praised 
them both, told them this was what the short-hand was 
good for, and then he called the others together, and 
Horace read. 

He made them notice, first, the quaint title of the old 
pamphlets. " I believe they liked sensation titles as 
much as the ' Herald ' does now." Here is one, — 
but they did not begin at the beginning after this title. 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 43 



RICHARD CHANCELLOR. 



CERTAIN NOTES IMPERFECTLY WRITTEN BY 
RICHARD JOHNSON, 

SERVANT TO MASTER RICHARD CHANCELOUR, 

Which was in the Discovery of Vaigatz and Nova 
Zembla with Steven Burrowe in the " Serch- 
thr1ft," i556, and afterwards among 
the samoedes, whose devilish 
Rites he describes. 



After all this, the company growing to some silence, 
it seemed good to them that were of greatest gravity 
amongst them, to inquire, search and seek what might 
be learned and known concerning the easterly part or 
tract of the world. For which cause two Tartarians, 
which were then of the king's stable, were sent for, and 
an interpreter was gotten to be present, by whom they 
were demanded touching their country and the manners 
of their nation. But they were able to answer nothing 
to the purpose, being, indeed, more acquainted (as one 
there merrily and openly said) to toss pots than to learn 
the states and dispositions of people. And therefore it 
was thought best, by the opinion of them all, that by the 
twentieth day of May the captains and mariners should 
take shipping, and depart from Radcliffe, upon the ebb, 
if it pleased God. They having saluted their acquaint- 
ance, one his wife, another his children, another his 
kinsfolks, and another his friends dearer than his kins- 
folks, were present and ready at the day appointed, 
and, having weighed anchor, they departed with the turn- 
ing of the water, and sailing easily, came first to Green- 



44 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

wich. The greater ships are towed down with boats 
and oars; and the mariners, being all apparelled in 
watchet or sky-colored cloth, rowed amain, and made 
way with diligence. Aryi being come near to Green- 
wich (where the court then lay), presently, upon the 
news thereof, the courtiers came running out, and the 
common people flocked together, standing very thick 
upon the shore ; the privy council, they looked out at the 
windows of the court, and the rest ran up to the tops of 
the towers ; the ships hereupon discharge their ord- 
nance, and shoot off their pieces after the manner of war 
and of the sea, insomuch that the tops of the hills 
sounded therewith, the valleys and the waters gave an 
echo, and the mariners, they shouted in such sort that 
the sky rang again with the noise thereof. One stood 
in the poop of the ship, and by his gesture bids farewell 
to his friends in the best manner he could. And 
another walks upon the hatches, another climbs the 
shrouds, another stands upon the mainyard, and an- 
other in the top of the ship. To be short, it was a very 
triumph (after a sort), in all respects, to the beholders. 
But alas ! the good King Edward (in respect of whom, 
principally, all this was prepared), he, only by reason of 
his sickness, was absent from this show, and not long 
after the departure of these ships the lamentable and 
most sorrowful accident of his death followed. 

But to proceed in the matter. The ships, going down 
with the tide, came at last to Woolwich, where they 
stayed and cast anchor, with purpose to depart there 
hence again, as soon as the turning of the water 
and a better wind should draw them to set sail. After 
this they departed and came to Harwich, in which port 
they stayed long, not without great loss and consuming 
of time, yet at the last, with a good wind, they hoisted 
up sail, and committed themselves to the sea, giving 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 45 

their last adieu to their native country, which they knew 
not whether they should ever return to see again or not. 
Many of them looked oftentimes back, and could not 
refrain from tears, considering into what hazards they 
were to fall, and what uncertainties of the sea they were 
to make trial of. 

Amongst the rest, Richard Chancellor, the captain of 
the " Edward Bonaventure," was not a little grieved 
with the fear of wanting victuals, part whereof was 
found to be corrupt and putrified at Harwich, and the 
hogsheads of wine also leaked, and were not stanch ; his 
natural and fatherly affection also somewhat troubled 
him, for he left behind him two little sons, which were 
in the case of orphans, if he sped not well ; the estate, 
also, of his company moved him to care, being, in the 
former respects, after a sort unhappy, and were to abide 
with himself every good or bad accident; but in the 
mean time, while his mind was thus tormented with the 
multiplicity of sorrows and cares, after many days' sail- 
ing, they kenned land afar off, whereunto the pilots 
directed the ships, and being come to it, they land, and 
find it to be Rost Island, where they stayed certain 
days, and afterwards set sail again ; and, proceeding 
towards the north, they espied certain other islands, 
which were called the Cross of Islands. 

From which places, when they were a little departed, 
Sir Hugh Willoughbie, the general, a man of good fore- 
sight and providence in all his actions, erected and set 
out his flag, by which he called together the chiefest 
men of the other ships, that, by the help and assistance 
of their counsels, the order of the government and con- 
duction of the ships in the whole voyage might be the 
better, who being come together accordingly, they con- 
clude and agree that if any great tempest should arise 
at any time, and happen to disperse and scatter them, 



46 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

every ship should endeavor his best to go to Ward 
House, a haven, or castle, of some name in the king- 
dom of Norway, and that they that arrived there first 
in safety should stay and expect the coming of the 
rest. 

The very same day in the afternoon, about four of 
the clock, so great a tempest suddenly arose, and the 
seas were so outrageous, that the ships could not keep 
their intended course, but some were perforce driven 
one way, and some another way, to their great peril and 
hazard. The general, with his loudest voice, cried out 
to Richard Chancellor, and earnestly requested him not 
to go far from him, but he neither would nor could keep 
company with him, if he sailed still so fast, for the 
" Admiral " was of better sail than his ship. But the said 
" Admiral," I know not by what means, bearing all his 
sails, was carried away with so great force and swift- 
ness, that not long after he was quite out of sight, and 
the third ship, also with the same storm and like rage, 
was dispersed and lost. 

The ship boat of the " Admiral," striking against the 
ship, was overwhelmed in the sight and view of the 
mariners of the " Bonaventure," and as for them that 
are already returned and arrived, they know nothing of 
the rest of the ships what was become of them. 

But be it so that any miserable mishap have over- 
taken them, if the rage and fury of the sea have 
devoured those good men, or if, as yet, they live, and 
wander up and down in strange countries, I must needs 
say they were men worthy of better fortune ; and if they 
be living, let us wish them safety and a good return ; 
but if the cruelty of death hath taken hold of them, 
God send them a Christian grave and sepulchre. Now 
Richard Chancellor, with his ship and company being 
thus left alone, and become very pensive, heavy, and 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 47 

sorrowful by this dispersion of the fleet, he, according 
to the order before taken, shaped his course for the 
Ward House, in Norway, there to expect and abide the 
arrival of the rest of the ships. And being come thither, 
and having stayed there the space of seven days, and 
looked in vain for their coming, he determined, at length, 
to proceed alone in the purposed voyage. And as he was 
preparing himself to depart, it happened that he fell in 
company and speech with certain Scotchmen, who, hav- 
ing understanding of his intention, and wishing well to 
his actions, began earnestly to dissuade him from the 
further prosecution of the discovery, by amplifying the 
dangers which he was to fall into, and omitted no rea- 
son they might serve for that purpose. But he hold- 
ing nothing so ignominious and reproachful as incon- 
stancy and levity of mind, and persuading himself that 
a man of valor could not commit a more dishonorable 
part than, for fear of danger, to avoid and shun great 
attempts, was nothing at all changed or discouraged 
with the speeches and words of the Scots, remaining 
steadfast and immutable in his first resolution, deter- 
mining either to bring that to pass which was intended, 
or else to die the death. 

And as for them which were with Master Chancellor 
in his ship, although they had great cause of discomfort 
by the loss of their company, whom the foresaid tem- 
pest had separated from them, and were not a little 
troubled with cogitations and perturbations of mind in 
respect of their doubtful course, yet, notwithstanding, 
they were of such consent and agreement of mind with 
Master Chancellor, that they were resolved, and pre- 
pared, under his direction and government, to make 
proof and trial of all adventures, without all fear or 
mistrust of future dangers, which constancy of mind in 
all the company did exceedingly increase their captain's 



4^ STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

carefulness, for he, being swallowed up with like good' 
will and love towards them, feared lest, through any 
error of his, the safety of the company should be endan- 
gered. 

To conclude : when they saw their desire and hope 
of the arrival of the rest of the ships to be every day 
more and more frustrated, they provided to sea again, 
and Master Chancellor held on his course towards 
that unknown part of the world, and sailed so far that 
he came at last to the place where he found no night at 
all, but a continual light and bigness of the sun shin- 
ing clearly upon the huge and mighty sea. And having 
the benefit of this perpetual light for certain days, at 
•the length it pleased God to bring them into a certain J 
great bay, which was of one hundred miles or there- 1 
about over. Thereinto they entered, and, somewhat far' 
within it, cast anchor, and, looking everyway about them, 
it happened that they espied afar off a certain fisher-, 
boat, which Master Chancellor, accompanied with only! 
a few of his men, went towards to commune with the | 
fishermen that were in it, and to know of them of whatj 
country it was, and what people, and of what manner of: 
living they were ; but they, being amazed with the strange;; 
greatness of his ship (for in those parts, before that time, |; 
they had never seen the like), began presently to avoid 
and to flee, but he, still following them, at last overtookj 
them, and, being come to them, they (being in great fear, J 
as men half dead) prostrated themselves before him,! 
offering to kiss his feet, but he (according to his great! 
and singular courtesy) looked pleasantly upon them,j 
comforting them by signs and gestures, refusing those;! 
duties and reverences of theirs, and taking them up in' 
all loving sort from the ground. And it is strange to 
consider how much favor afterwards, in that place, thisf 
humanity of his did purchase to himself. For the} 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 49 

being dismissed, spread by and by a report abroad of 
the arrival of a strange nation of a singular gentleness 
and courtesy, whereupon the common people came 
together, offering, to these new-come guests, victuals 
freely, and not refusing to traffic with them, except they 
had been bound by a certain religious use and custom 
not to buy any foreign commodities without the knowl- 
edge and consent of the king. 

By this time our men had learned that this country 
was called Russia, or Moscow, and that Ivan Vasilwich 
(which was at that time their king's name) ruled and 
governed far and wide in those places. And the bar- 
barous Russes asked likewise of our men whence they 
were, and what they came for, whereunto answer was 
made that they were Englishmen, sent into those coasts 
from the most excellent King Edward the Sixth, having 
from him, in commandment, certain things to deliver to 
their king, and seeking nothing else but his amity and 
friendship, and traffic with his people, whereby they 
doubted not but that great commodity and profit would 
grow to the subjects of both kingdoms. 

The barbarians heard these things very gladly, and 
promised their aid and furtherance to acquaint their 
king out of hand with so honest and reasonable a 
bequest. 

In the mean time, Master Chancellor entreated 
victuals for his money of the governor of that place 
(who, together with others, came aboard him), and 
required hostages of them likewise for the more assur- 
ance of safety to himself and his company. To whom 
the governors answered, that they knew not in that case 
the will of their king, but yet were willing, in such things 
as they might lawfully do, to pleasure him, which was 
as then, to afford him the benefit of victuals. 

Now, while these things were doing, they secretly 



50 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

sent a messenger unto the emperor, to certify him of 
the arrival of a strange nation, and withal to know his 
pleasure concerning them ; which message was very wel- 
come unto him, insomuch that voluntarily he invited 
them to come to his court ; but if, by reason of the 
tediousness of so long a journey, they thought it not 
best so to do, then he granted liberty to his subjects to 
bargain and to traffic with them ; and further promised, 
that if it would please them to come to him he himself 
would bear the whole charges of post-horses. In the 
mean time, the governors of the place deferred the 
matter from day to day, pretending divers excuses, 
and saying one while that the consent of all the gov- 
ernors, and another while that the great and mighty 
affairs of the kingdom compelled them to defer their 
answer ; and this they did of purpose, so long to pro- 
tract the time until the messenger (sent before to the 
king) did return with relation of his will and pleasure. 

But Master Chancellor, seeing himself held in this 
suspense with long and vain expectation, and thinking 
that, of intention to delude him, they posted the matter 
off so often, was very instant with them to perform their ) 
promise ; which, if they would not do, he told them that j 
he wonld depart and proceed in his voyage ; so that the I 
Muscovites, although as yet they knew not the mind of j 
their king, yet fearing the departure, indeed, of our men, ' 
who had such wares and commodities as they greatly } 
desired, they at last resolved to furnish our peo- j 
pie with all things necessary, and to conduct them by j 
land to the presence of their king. And so Master i 
Chancellor began his journey, which was very long and | 
most troublesome, wherein he had the use of certain i 
sleds, which in that country are very common, for they 
are carried themselves upon sleds, and all their car- j 
riages are in the same sort, the people almost not know- I 



THE CHANCELLOR VOYAGE. 5 1 

ing any other manner of carriage, the cause whereof is 
the exceeding hardness of the ground congealed in the 
winter time by the force of the cold, which in those 
places is very extreme and horrible, whereof hereafter 
we will say something. 

But now they having passed the greater part of the 
journey, met at last with the sledman (of whom I spake 
before), sent to the king secretly from the justices or 
governors, who by some ill-hap had lost his way, and 
had gone to the seaside, which is near to the country of 
the Tartars, thinking there to have found our ship- 
But having long erred and wandered out of his way, at 
the last, in his direct return, he met, as he was coming, 
our captain on the way, to whom he by and by deliv- 
ered the emperor's letters, which were written to him 
with all courtesy, and in the most loving manner that 
could be, wherein express commandment was given that 
post-horses should be gotten for him and the rest of his 
company, without any money; which thing was of all 
the Russes in the rest of their journey so willingly 
done, that they began to quarrel, yea, and to fight also, 
in striving and contending which of them should put 
their post-horses to the sled; so that, after much aid 
and great pains taken in this long and weary journey, 
for that they had travelled very near fifteen hundred 
miles, Master Chancellor came at last to Moscow, the 
chief city of the kingdom, and the seat of the king, of 
which city, and of the emperor himself, and of the prin- 
cipal cities of Muscovy, we will speak immediately more 
at large in this discourse. 






III. 

THE SPANISH ARMADA. 

"TTNCLE FRITZ, when you used to go to school 

LJ did the boys ' speak a piece ' in which it said, 
1 Tell them how Spain sent forth a nation over the deep, 
and England and the elements overwhelmed it ' ? " 

" To be sure," said the old gentleman ; "I do not 
know but I have ' spoken ' it ten times myself, — I have 
heard it a hundred. I could repeat it now, merely from 
the hearing it." And he struck a theatrical attitude. 

Clem Waters said he always thought he could have 
managed that about "the elements" better; that if you 
were to brag, you had better brag squarely, — that j 
modest bragging was impossible. And the boys fell to j 
trying to adjust the speech so as to tell the truth and j 
yet preserve a good face on the matter. But Uncle 
Fritz asked what set Bob to ask about it. 

" Oh, because, we found in Hakluyt all about the j 
Armada, and it is just splendid. It tells how they 
all pounded away, piece by piece, Hawkins,. Drake, 
Lord Howard, and all the rest of them." 

" Hawkins is your grandfather's great-grandfather's 
great-grandfather, Sybil ; do you know that ? " said Mr. I 
Ingham. 

Sybil blushed, and said " No," that she did not know i 
much about genealogy. 

" Yes," said Mr. Ingham, " there is a good deal of j 
the old sea-dog's blood in New England. He invented I 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 53 

the slave-trade, and Queen Elizabeth knighted him for 
it. She permitted him to take for his device a 
blackamore chained, and three gold bezants. They 
were for the money he brought England by this valuable 
business." 

Sybil shuddered, and said she was glad she was so 
far away from the old pirate. 

"And so am I," said CoL Ingham. " We have fallen 
on better days. But I can remember the year when the 
last ship sailed in that horrid business ; it was not 
till near the end of our war here. But, boys," he said, 
" have you brought us nothing about the Armada ? " 

Then Bob said that they had taken turns, day by day, 
and what with short-hand and long-hand they had made 
a long extract. " Perhaps it is too long to read this 
afternoon," he said. "But I did not know where to 
stop. I begin to .find out what you mean by going to 
the originals ; for really, uncle, I feel as if I had been 
in this fight ; and I did not feel so before. I had 
read Mr. Motley's splendid description of it, too ; 
but this made me feel at home in it." 

The old gentleman smiled, well pleased. The boy 
had won him on one of his hobbies. He told Bob to 
begin to read ; he said Horace could go on when Bob 
was tired ; that for the rest, they might go off into the 
other room when they were tired ; but I believe almost 
all of them stayed. Bob said he began at the beginning 
of the preparation, taking for granted that they all knew 
something about the why and wherefore. 

"The court is supposed to know something," said 
Uncle Fritz. 

THE ARMADA. 

And for the same purpose the Catholic king had 
given commandment long before, in Italy and Spain, 



54 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

that a great quantity of timber should be felled for the 
building of ships, and had, besides, made great prepara- 
tion of things and furniture requisite for such an expe- 
dition, as, namely, in founding of brazen ordnance, in 
storing up of coins and victuals, in training of men to 
use warlike weapons, in levying and mustering of sol- 
diers, insomuch that about the beginning of the year 
1588 he had finished such a mighty navy, and brought 
it into Lisbon haven, as never the like had before that 
time sailed upon the ocean sea. The number of mar- 
iners in the said fleet were about 8,000 ; of slaves, 2,088 ; 
of soldiers, 20,000 (besides noblemen and gentlemen vol- 
untaries) ; of great cast pieces, 2,650. The foresaid 
ships were of a huge and incredible capacity and re- 
ceipt, for the whole fleet was large enough to contain 
the burden of 60,000 tons. The galleons were sixty- 
four in number, being of a huge bigness, and very 
stately built, being of marvellous force, also, and so 
high that they resembled great castles, most fit to 
defend themselves and to withstand any assault ; but 
in giving any other ships the encounter far inferior unto 
the English and Dutch ships, which can, with great 
dexterity, wield and turn themselves at all essays. The 
upper work of the said galleons was of thickness and 
strength sufficient to bear off musket-shot. The lower 
work, and the timbers thereof, were out of measure 
strong, being framed of planks and ribs four or five 
feet in thickness, insomuch that no bullets could pierce 
them, but such as were discharged hard at hand, which 
afterward proved true, for a great number of bullets 
were found to stick fast within the massy substance of 
those thick planks. Great and well-pitched cables 
were twined about the masts of their ships, to strengthen 
against the battery of shot. 

The galeases were of such bigness that they con- 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 55 

tained within them chambers, chapels, turrets, pulpits, 
and other commodities of great houses. The ga- 
leases were rowed with great oars, there being in each 
one of them three hundred slaves for the same purpose, 
and were able to do great service with the force of their 
ordnance. All these, together with the residue afore- 
named, were furnished and beautified with trumpets, 
streamers, banners, warlike ensigns, and other such-like 
ornaments. Their pieces of brazen ordnance were 
i, 600, and of iron 1,000. The bullets thereto belong- 
ing were 120,000. Item of gunpowder, 5,600 quintals ; 
of matches, 1,200 quintals; of muskets and calivers, 
1,000; of haldberds and partisans, 10,000. Moreover, 
they had great store of cannons, double cannons, cul- 
verins, and field-pieces for land services. 

At length, when as the French king, about the end 
of May, signified unto her Majesty in plain terms that 
she should stand upon her guard, because he was now 
most certainly informed that there was so dangerous 
an invasion imminent upon her realm, that he feared 
much lest all her land and sea forces would be sufficient 
to withstand it, etc., then began the queen's Majesty- 
more carefully to gather her forces together, and to fur- 
nish her own ships of war, and the principal ships of 
her subjects, with soldiers, weapons, and other neces- 
sary provisions. The greatest and strongest ships of 
the whole navy she sent unto Plymouth under the con- 
duct of the Right Honorable Lord Charles Howard, 
Lord High Admiral of England, etc., under whom the 
renowned knight Sir Francis Drake was appointed vice- 
admiral. The number of these ships was about an 
hundred ; the lesser ships being thirty or forty in num- 
ber, and, under the conduct of the Lord Henry Seymour, 
were commanded to lie between Dover and Calais. 

In the mean while the Spanish Armada set sail out of 



$6 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

the haven of Lisbon upon the 19th of May, Anno Domini 
1588, under the conduct of the Duke of Medina 
Sidonia, directing their course for the bay of Corunna, 
alias the Groine in Gallicia, where they took in soldiers 
and warlike provision, this port being, in Spain, the 
nearest unto England. As they were sailing along, 
there arose such a mighty tempest that the whole fleet 
was dispersed, so that, when the duke was returned unto 
his company, he could not escry above eighty ships in 
all ; whereunto the residue, by little and little, joined 
themselves, except eight, which had their masts blown 
overboard. One of the four galleys of Portugal es- 
caped very hardly, retiring herself into the haven. The 
other three were upon the coast of Bayonne, in France, 
by the assistance and courage of one David Groin, an 
English captain (whom the French and Turkish slaves 
aided in the same enterprise), utterly disabled and van- 
quished ; one of the three being first overcome, which 
conquered the two others, with the slaughter of their 
governors and soldiers, and, among the rest, of Don 
Diego de Mandrana, with sundry others ; and so those 
slaves arriving in France with the three galleys set 
themselves at liberty. 

The navy having refreshed themselves at the Groine, 
and receiving daily commandment from the king to 
hasten their journey, hoisted up sails the eleventh day of 
July, .and so holding on their course till the 19th of the 
same month, they came, then, into the mouth of the 
narrow seas, or English Channel, from whence (strik- 
ing their sails in the mean season) they despatched cer- 
tain of their small ships unto the Duke of Parma. At 
the same time the Spanish fleet was escried by an Eng- 
lish pinnace, the captain whereof was Mr. Thomas Flem- 
ing, after they had been advertised of the Spaniards' 
expedition by their scouts and espials, which, having 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 57 

ranged along the coasts of Spain, were lately returned 
home into Plymouth for a new supply of victuals and 
other necessaries, who, considering the foresaid tempest, 
were of opinion that the navy, being of late dispersed 
and tossed up and down the main ocean, was by no 
means able to perform their intended voyage. 

Moreover, the Lord Charles Howard, Lord High 
Admiral of England, had received letters from the court 
signifying unto him that her Majesty was advertised 
that the Spanish fleet would not come forth, nor was 
to be any longer expected ; for, and therefore, that upon 
her Majesty's commandment he must send back four 
of her tallest and strongest ships unto Chatham. 

The Lord High Admiral of England being thus, on 
the sudden, namely, upon the 19th of July, about four 
of the clock in the afternoon, informed by the pinnace 
of Capt. Fleming, aforesaid, of the Spaniards' approach, 
with all speed and diligence possible he warped his 
ships, and caused his mariners and soldiers, the greater 
part of whom were absent for the cause aforesaid, to 
come on board, and that with great trouble and diffi- 
culty, insomuch that the Lord Admiral himself was fain 
to lie without in the road with five ships only all that 
night, after the which many others came forth of the 
haven. The very next day, being the 20th of July, 
about high noon, was the Spanish fleet escried by the 
English, which, with a southwest wind, came sailing 
along, and passed by Plymouth, in which regard, ac- 
cording to the judgment of many skilful navigators, 
they greatly overshot themselves ; whereas it had been 
more commodious for them to have stayed themselves 
there, considering that the Englishmen, being as yet 
unprovided, greatly relied upon their own forces, and 
knew not the estate of the Spanish navy. Moreover, 
this was the most convenient port, of all others, where 



58 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

they might, with greater security, have been advertised 
of the English forces, and how the commons of the 
land stood affected, and might have stirred up some 
mutiny, so that hither they should have bent all their 
puissance, and from hence the Duke of Parma might 
more easily have conveyed his ships. 

But this they were prohibited to do by the king and 
his council, and were expressly commanded to unite 
themselves unto the soldiers and ships of the said Duke 
of Parma, and so to bring their purpose to effect, 
which was thought to be the most easy and direct 
course ; for that they imagined that the English and 
Dutchmen would be bitterly daunted and dismayed 
thereat, and would, each man of them, retire unto his 
own province and ports for the defence thereof, and, 
transporting the army of the duke under the protection 
of their huge navy, they might invade England. 

It is reported that the chief commanders in the navy, 
and those which were more skilful in navigation, to wit, 
John Martines de Ricalde, Diego Flores de Valdez, 
and divers others, found fault that they were bound 
unto strict directions and instructions, because that in 
such a case many particular accidents ought to concur 
and to be respected at one and the same instant ; that 
is to say, the opportunity of the wind, weather, time, 
tide, and ebb, wherein they might sail from Flanders 
to England. Oftentimes, also, the darkness and light, 
the situation of places, the depths and shoals, were to 
be considered, all which especially depended upon the 
convenience of the winds, and were by so much the 
more dangerous. 

But it seemed that they were enjoined by their com- 
mission to anchor near unto, or about, Calais, whither 
the Duke of Parma, with his ships and all his warlike 
provision, was to resort ; and while the English and 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 59 

Spanish great ships were in the midst of their conflict, 
to pass by, and to land his soldiers upon the Downs. 
The Spanish captives reported that they were deter- 
mined, first, to have entered the river of Thames, and 
thereupon to have passed with small ships up to Lon- 
don, supposing that they might easily win that rich and 
flourishing city, being but meanly fortified and inhabited 
with citizens not accustomed to the wars, who durst not 
withstand their first encounter ; hoping, moreover, to find 
many rebels against her Majesty and Popish Catholics, 
or some favorers of the Scottish queen (which was not 
long before most justly beheaded), who might be instru- 
ments of sedition. 

Thus, often advertising the Duke of Parma of their 
approach, the 20th of July they passed by Plymouth, 
which the English ships pursuing, and, getting the wind 
of them, gave them the chase and the encounter, and 
so both fleets frankly exchanged their bullets. 

The day following, which was the 21st of July, the 
English ships approached within musket-shot of the 
Spanish ; at that time the Lord Charles Howard most 
hotly and valiantly discharged his ordnance upon the 
Spanish vice-admiral. The Spaniards, then well per- 
ceiving the nimbleness of the English ships in discharg- 
ing upon the enemy on all sides, gathered themselves 
close into the form of an half-moon, and slackened 
their sails, lest they should outgo any of their company; 
and, while they were proceeding on in this manner, one 
of their great galeases was so furiously battered with 
shot, that the whole navy was fain to come up around 
together for the safeguard thereof ; whereby it came to 
pass that the principal galleon of Seville (wherein 
Don Pedro de Valdez, Valques de Silva, Alonzo de 
Sayes, and other noblemen were embarked) falling foul 
of another ship, had her foremast broken, and by that 



60 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

means was not able to keep way with the Spanish fleet ; 
neither would the said fleet stay to succor it, but left 
the distressed galleon behind. The Lord Admiral of 
England, when he saw this ship of Valdez, and thought 
she had been void of mariners and soldiers, taking: 
with him as many ships as he could, passed by it, that 
he might not lose sight of the Spanish fleet that night / 
for Sir Francis Drake, who was, notwithstanding, ap- 
pointed to bear out his lantern that night, was giving 
of chase into five great hulks which had separated 
themselves from the Spanish fleet ; but finding them to 
be Easterlings, he dismissed them. The Lord Admiral, 
all that night following the Spanish lantern instead of 
the English, found himself in the morning to be in the 
midst of his enemy's fleet, but when he perceived it, 
he cleanly conveyed himself out of that great danger. 

The day following, which was the 2 2d of July, Sir 
Francis Drake espied Valdez' ship, whereunto he 
sent forth his pinnace, and being advertised that Valdez 
himself was there, and four hundred and fifty persons 
with him, he sent him word that he should yield him- 
self. Valdez, for his honor's sake, caused certain con- 
ditions to be propounded unto Drake, who answered 
Valdez^, that he was not now at leisure to make any 
long parley, but, if he would yield himself, he should 
find him friendly and tractable ; howbeit, if he had 
resolved to die in fight, he should prove Drake to be 
no dastard. 

Upon which answer Valdez and his company, under- 
standing that they were fallen into the hands of fortu- 
nate Drake, being moved with the renown and celebrity 
of his name, with one consent yielded themselves, and 
found him very favorable unto them. Then Valdez, 
with forty or fifty noblemen and gentlemen pertaining 
unto him, came on board Sir Francis Drake's ship. 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 6 1 

The residue of his company were carried into Plymouth, 
where they were detained a year and a half for their 
ransom. 

Valdez coming unto Drake, and humbly kissing his 
hand, protested unto him that he and his had resolved 
to die in battle had they not, by good fortune, fallen 
into his power, whom they knew to be right courteous 
and gentle, and whom they heard by general report to 
be most favorable unto his vanquished foe, insomuch 
that he said it was to be doubted whether his enemies 
had more cause to admire and love him for his great, 
valiant, and prosperous exploits, or to dread him for 
his singular felicity and wisdom which ever attended 
upon him in the wars, and by which he had attained 
unto so great honor. With that Drake embraced him, 
and gave him very honorable entertainment, feeding 
him at his own table, and lodging him in his cabin. 

He, Valdez, began to recount unto Drake the forces 
of all the Spanish fleet, and how four mighty galleys 
were separated by tempest from them, and also how 
they were determined first to have put into Plymouth 
haven, not expecting to be repelled thence by the 
English ships, which they thought could by no means 
withstand their impregnable forces, persuading them- 
selves that, by means of their huge fleet, they were 
become lords and commanders of the main ocean. For 
which cause they marvelled much how the Englishmen 
in their small ships durst approach within musket-shot 
of the Spaniards' mighty wooden castles, gathering the 
wind of them with many other such like attempts. 

Immediately after, Valdez and his company, he being a 
man of principal authority in the Spanish fleet, and 
being descended of one and the same family with that 
Valdez which, in the year 1574, besieged Leydon in 
Holland, were sent captives into England. There were 



62 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

in the said ship fifty-five thousand ducats in ready- 
money of the Spanish king's gold, which the soldiers 
merrily shared among themselves. 

The same day was set on fire one of their greatest 
ships, being admiral of the squadron of Guipuscoa, and 
being the ship of Michael de Oquendo, vice-admiral of 
the whole fleet, which contained great store of gun- 
powder and other warlike provision. The upper part 
only of this ship was burnt, and all the persons therein 
contained (except a very few) were consumed with fire. 
And thereupon it was taken by the English and brought 
into England with a number of miserable, burned, and 
scorched Spaniards. Howbeit, the gunpowder (to the 
great admiration of all men) remained whole and 
unconsumed. 

In the mean season, the Lord Admiral of England, in 
his ship called the " Ark Royal," all that night pur- 
sued the Spaniards so near, that in the morning he was 
almost left alone in the enemy's fleet, and it was four 
of the clock at afternoon before the residue of the 
English fleet could overtake him. At the same time, 
Hugo de Moncada, governor of the four galeases, made 
humble suit unto the Duke of Medina, that he might 
be licensed to encounter the Admiral of England, which 
liberty the duke thought not good to permit unto him, 
because he was loath to exceed the limits of his com- 
mission and charge. 

Upon Tuesday, which was the 23d of July, the navy 
being come over against Portland, the wind began to 
turn northerly, insomuch that the Spaniards had a for- 
tunate and fit gale to invade the English* But the Eng- 
lishmen, having lesser and nimbler ships, recovered again 
the vantage of the wind from the Spaniards, whereat 
the Spaniards seemed to be more incensed to fight than 
* That is, they had the weather-gauge of the English fleet. 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 63 

before. But, when the English fleet had continually 
and without intermission, from morning to night, beaten 
and battered them with all their shot, both great and 
small, the Spaniards, uniting themselves, gathered 
their whole fleet close together into a roundel, so that 
it was apparent that they meant not, as yet, to invade 
others, but only to defend themselves, and to make 
haste into the place prescribed unto them, which was 
near unto Dunkirk, that they might join forces with the 
Duke of Parma, who was determined to have proceeded 
secretly with his small ships under the shadow and pro- 
tection of the great ones, and so had intended circum- 
spectly to perform the whole expedition. 

This was the most furious and bloody skirmish of all, 
in which the Lord Admiral of England continued fight- 
ing amidst his enemy's fleet; and, seeing one of his 
captains afar off, he spoke to him in these words : 
" Oh, George, what doest thou ? Wilt thou now frus- 
trate my hope and opinion conceived of thee ? Wilt 
thou forsake me now ? " With which words he, being 
inflamed, approached forthwith, encountered the enemy, 
and did the part of a most valiant captain. His name 
was George Fenner, a man that had been conversant in 
many sea-fights. 

In this conflict there was a certain great Venetian 
ship, with other small ships, surprised and taken by the 
English. 

The English navy in the mean while increased, where- 
unto out of all the havens of the realm resorted ships 
and men, for they all, with one accord, came flocking 
thither, as unto a set field, where immortal fame and 
glory was to be attained, and faithful service to be per- 
formed unto their prince and country. In which num- 
ber there were many great and honorable personage, 
as, namely, the Earls of Oxford, of Northumberland, 



64 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

of Cumberland, etc., with many knights and gentle 
men ; to wit, Sir Thomas Cecil, Sir Robert Cecil, Sir 
Walter Raleigh, Sir William Hatton, Sir Horatio Pala- 
nicina, Sir Henry Brooke, Sir Robert Carew, Sir Charles 
Blunt, Master Ambrose Willoughbie, Master Henry 
Nowell, Master Thomas Gerard, Master Henry Dud- 
ley, Master Edward Darcie, Master Arthur George, 
Master Thomas Woodhouse, Master William Harney, 
etc., and so it came to pass that the number of the 
English ships amounted unto an hundred ; which, 
when they were come before Dover, were increased to 
an hundred and thirty, being, notwithstanding, of no 
proportionable bigness to encounter with the Spaniards, 
except twenty-two or twenty-three of the queen's greater 
ships, which only, by reason of their presence, bred an 
opinion in the Spaniards' minds concerning the power 
of the English fleets, the mariners and soldiers whereof 
were esteemed to be twelve thousand. 

The 24th of July, when, as the sea was calm, and no 
wind stirring, the fight was only between the four great 
galeases, and the English ships, which, being rowed 
with oars, had great vantage of the said English ships, 
which, notwithstanding, for all that would not be forced 
to yield, but discharged their chain-shot to cut asunder 
the cables and cordage of the galeases, with many 
other such stratagems. They were now constrained to 
send their men on land for a new supply of gunpowder, 
whereof they were in great scarcity, by reason they had 
so frankly spent the greater part in the former conflicts. 
The same day, a council being assembled, it was decreed 
that the English fleet should be divided into four 
squadrons, the principal whereof was committed unto 
the Lord Admiral; the second, to Sir Francis Drake; 
the third, to Capt. Hawkins ; the fourth, to Capt. Fro- 
bisher. 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 65 

The Spaniards, in their sailing, observed very diligent 
and good order, sailing three and four and sometimes 
more ships in a rank, and following close up one after 
another, and the stronger and greater ships protecting 
the lesser. 

The 25th of July, when the Spaniards were come 
over against the Isle of Wight, the Lord Admiral of 
England being accompanied with his best ships, namely, 
the " Lion," captain whereof was the Lord Thomas 
Howard ; the " Elizabeth Jonas," under the command- 
ment of Sir Robert Southwell, son-in-law unto the 
Lord Admiral ; the " Bear," under the Lord Sheffield, 
nephew unto the Lord Admiral ; the " Victory," under 
Capt. Barker, and the galleon " Leicester," under the 
forenamed Capt. George Fenner, with great valor, and 
dreadful thundering of shot, encountered the Spanish 
admiral, being in the very midst of all his fleet, which, 
when the Spaniards perceived, being assisted with his 
strongest ships, he came forth and entered a terrible 
combat with the English, for they bestowed each on the 
other the broadsides, and mutually discharged all their 
ordnance, being within one hundred or one hundred 
and twenty yards one of another. 

At length the Spaniards hoisted up their sails, and 
again gathered themselves up close into the form of a 
roundel. In the mean while Capt. Frobisher had en- 
gaged himself into a most dangerous conflict. There- 
upon the Lord Admiral, coming to succor him, found 
that he had valiantly and discreetly behaved himself, 
and that he had nicely, and in good time, given over the 
fight, because that after so great a battery he had sus- 
tained no damage. 

For which cause the day following, being the 26th 
of July, the Lord Admiral rewarded him with the order 
of knighthood, together with the Lord Thomas Howard, 
the Lord Sheffield, Mr. John Hawkins, and others. 



66 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

The same day the Lord Admiral received intelligence 
from Newhaven, in France, by certain of his pinnaces, 
that all things were quiet in France, and that there was 
no preparation of sending aid unto the Spaniards, which 
was greatly feared from the Guisian faction, and from 
the Leaguers ; but there was a false rumor spread all 
about that the Spaniards had conquered England. 

The 27th of July the Spaniards, about the sun-setting, 
were come over against Dover, and rode at anchor 
within the sight of Calais, intending to hold on for 
Dunkirk, expecting there to join with the Duke of 
Parma his forces, without which they were able to do 
little or nothing. 

Likewise the English fleet, following up hard upon 
them, anchored just by them within culverin shot. And 
here the Lord Henry Seymour united himself unto the 
Lord Admiral with his fleet of thirty ships, which rode 
before the mouth of the Thames. 

As the Spanish navy therefore lay at anchor, the 
Duke of Medina sent certain messengers unto the Duke 
of Parma, with whom, upon that occasion, many noble- 
men and gentlemen went to refresh themselves on 
land, and amongst the rest the Prince of Alcoli, being 
accounted the king's base son, and a very proper and 
towardly young gentleman, to his great good, went on 
shore, who was by so much the more fortunate in that 
he had not opportunity to return on board the same 
ship, out of which he was departed, because that in 
returning home it was cast away upon the Irish coast, 
with all the persons contained therein. 

The Duke of Parma, being advertised of the Spanish 
fleet's arrival upon the coast of England, made all the 
haste he could to be present himself in this expedition 
for the performance of his charge, vainly persuading 
himself that now, by the means of Cardinal Allen, he 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. &7 

could be crowned king of England, and for that cause 
he had resigned the government of the Low Countries 
unto Count Mansfield, the elder; and having made 
his vow unto St. Mary, of Hall, in Henault (whom he 
went to visit for his blind devotion's sake), he returned 
toward Bruges the 28th of July. 

The next day, travelling to Dunkirk, he heard the 
thundering ordnance of either fleet, and the same 
evening, being come to Dixmud, he was given to under- 
stand the hard success # of the Spanish fleet. 

Upon Tuesday, which was the 30th of July, about 
high noon, he came to Dunkirk, when, as all the Span- 
ish fleet was now passed up, neither durst any of his 
ships in the mean space come forth to assist the said 
Spanish fleet, for fear of thirty-five warlike ships of 
Holland and Zealand, which there kept watch and 
ward under the conduct of the Admiral Justin of Nassau. 

The aforesaid thirty-five ships were furnished with 
most cunning mariners, and old expert soldiers, amongst 
which were 1,200 musketeers, whom the States had 
chosen out of all their garrisons, and whom they knew 
to have been heretofore experienced in sea-fights. 

This navy was given especially in charge not to suf- 
fer any ship to come out of the haven, nor to permit 
any zabraes, pataches or, other small vessels of the 
Spanish fleet (which were more likely to aid the Dun- 
kirkers) to enter thereinto, for the great ships were not 
to be feared by reason of the shallow sea in that place. 
Hovvbeit the Prince of Parma, his forces being as yet 
unready, were not come on board his ships, only the 
English fugitives, being seven hundred in number, under 
the conduct of Sir William Stanley, came in fit time to 
have been embarked, because they hoped to give the 
first assault against England. The residue showed 
* As we say, " bad success." 



68 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

themselves unwilling and loath to depart, because they 
saw but a. few mariners, who were, by constraint, drawn 
into this expedition, and also because they had very 
bare provision of bread, drink, and other necessary vict- 
uals. Moreover, the ships of Holland and Zealand 
stood continually in their sight, threatening shot and 
powder, and many inconveniencies unto them ; for fear 
of which ships, the mariners and seamen secretly with- 
drew themselves both day and night, lest that the Duke 
of Parma his soldiers should compel them by main 
force to go on board, and to break through the Hol- 
landers' fleet, which all of them judged to be impos- 
sible, by reason of the straightness of the haven. 

But it seemed that the Duke of Parma and the Span- 
iards grounded upon a vain and presumptuous expecta- 
tion, that all the ships of England and of the Low 
Countries would, at the first sight of the Spanish and 
Dunkirk navy, have betaken themselves to flight, yield- 
ing them sea-room, and endeavoring only to defend 
themselves, their havens, and sea-coasts from invasion. 
Therefore their intent and purpose was that the 
Duke of Parma, in his small and flat-bottomed ships, 
should, as it were, under the shadow and wings of the 
Spanish fleet, convey over all his troops, armor, and 
warlike provision, and, with their forces united, should 
invade England ; or while the English fleet were busied 
in fight against the Spanish, should enter upon any part 
of the coast which he thought to be most convenient, 
which invasion (as the captives afterward confessed) 
the Duke of Parma thought first to have attempted by 
the river of Thames, upon the banks whereof, having at 
his first arrival landed twenty or thirty thousand of his 
principal soldiers, he supposed that he might easily have 
won the city of London ; both because his small ships 
should have followed and assisted his land forces, and 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 69 

also for that the city itself was but meanly fortified and 
easy to overcome, by reason of the citizens' delicacy 
and discontinuance from the wars, who, with continual 
constant labor, might be vanquished, if they yielded not 
at the first assault. . . 

Then, as therefore the Spanish fleet rode at anchor 
before Calais, to the end they might consult with the 
Duke of Parma what was best to be done, according to 
the king's commandment and the present state of their 
affairs, and had now (as we will afterward declare) pur- 
posed upon the 2d of August, being Friday, with one 
power and consent to have put their intended business 
in practice, the Lord Admiral of England, being admon- 
ished by her Majesty's letters from the court, thought it 
most expedient either to drive the Spanish fleet from 
that place, or leastwise to give them the encounter; 
and for that cause (according to her Majesty's prescrip- 
tion) he took forthwith eight of his worst and basest 
ships which came next to hand, and, disburdening them 
of all things which seemed to be of any value, filled 
them with gunpowder, pitch, brimstone, and with other 
combustible and fiery matter ; and, charging all their 
ordnance with powder, bullets, and stones, he sent the 
said ships, upon the 28th of July, being Sunday, about 
two o'clock, after midnight, with the wind and tide, 
against the Spanish fleet, which, when they had pro- 
ceeded a good space, being forsaken of the pilots, and 
set on fire, were directly carried upon the king .of 
Spain's navy, which fire, in the dead of the night, put 
the Spaniards into such perplexity and horror (for they 
feared lest they were like unto those terrible ships 
which Frederic Senebelli, three years before, at the 
siege of Antwerp, had furnished with gunpowder, stones, 
and dreadful engines, for the dissolution of the Duke of 
Parma, his bridge, built upon the river Scheldt) that, 



70 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

cutting their cables whereon their anchors were fast- 
ened, and hoisting up their sails, they betook them- 
selves very confusedly into the main sea. 

In this sudden confusion the principal and greatest 
of the four galeases, falling foul of another ship, lost 
her rudder; for which cause, when she could not be 
guided any longer, she was, by the force of the tide, 
cast into a certain shoal upon the shore of Calais, 
where she was immediately assaulted by divers English 
pinnaces. 

And, as they lay battering of her with their ordnance, 
and durst not board her, the Lord Admiral sent thither 
his long boat, with an hundred choice soldiers, under 
the command of Captain Amyas Preston, upon whose 
approach their fellows, being more emboldened, did 
offer to board the galeas ; against whom the governor 
thereof, and captain of all the four galeases, Hugo 
de Moncada, stoutly opposed, himself fighting by so 
much the more valiantly, in that he hoped presently to 
be succored by the Duke of Parma. In the mean 
season, Moncada, after he had endured the conflict a 
good while, being hit on the head with a bullet, fell 
down stark dead, and a great number of Spaniards also 
were slain in his company ; the greater part of the res- 
idue leaping overboard into the sea, to save themselves 
by swimming, were most of them drowned. Howbeit 
there escaped, among others, Don Antonio de Man- 
riques, a principal officer in the Spanish fleet (called by 
them their Veador-General), together with a few Span- 
iards besides, which Antonio was the first man that 
carried certain news of the success # of their fleet, into 
Spain. This huge and monstrous galeas, wherein were 
contained three hundred slaves to lug at the oars, 

* The word " success " then meant fate, or destiny, — as we 
still speak of "good success" or "ill success." 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 7 1 

and four hundred soldiers, was, in the space of three 
hours, rifled in the same place ; and there were found, 
amongst divers other commodities. 50,000 ducats of the 
Spanish king's treasure. At length, when the slaves 
were released out of their fetters, the Englishmen would 
have set the said ship on fire, which Monsieur Gourdon, 
the governor of Calais, for fear of the damage which 
might thereupon ensue to the downe and haven, 
would not permit them to do, but drove them from 
thence with his great ordnance. Upon the 29th of July 
in the morning, the Spanish fleet, after the aforesaid 
tumult, having arranged themselves again into order, 
were, within sight of Greneling, most bravely and furi- 
ously encountered by the English, where they once 
again got the wind of the Spaniards, who suffered them- 
selves to be deprived of the commodity of the place in 
Calais Road, and of the advantage of wind near unto 
Dunkirk, rather than they would change their array or 
separate their forces now conjoined and united to- 
gether, standing only upon their defence. 

And albeit there were many excellent and warlike 
ships in the English fleet, yet scarce were there twenty- 
two or twenty-three among them all which matched 
ninety of the Spanish ships in bigness, or could con- 
veniently assault them. Therefore the English ships, 
using their prerogative of nimble stirrage, whereby they 
could turn and wield themselves with the wind which 
way they, lifted, came oftentimes very near upon the 
Spaniards, and charged them so sore that now and 
then they were but a pike's length asunder, and con- 
tinually giving them one broadside after another, they 
discharged all their shot, both great and small, upon 
them, spending one whole day from morning till night 
in that violent kind of conflict, until such time as pow- 
der and bullets failed them ; in regard of which want, 



72 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

they thought it convenient not to pursue the Spaniards 
any longer, because they had many great advantages of 
the English, namely, for the extraordinary bigness of 
their ships, and also for that they were so nearly con- 
joined, and kept together in so good array, thai, they 
could by no means be fought with all, one to one. The 
English thought, therefore, that they had right well 
acquitted themselves in chasing the Spaniards first from 
Calais, and then from Dunkirk, and by that means to 
have hindered them from joining with the Duke of 
Parma his forces, and getting the wind of them, to 
have driven them from their own coasts. The Span- 
iards that day sustained great loss and damage, having 
many of their ships shot through and through, and they 
discharged, likewise, great store of ordnance against the 
English, who, indeed, sustained some hindrance, but 
not comparable to the Spaniards' loss, for they lost not 
any one ship or person of account. For very diligent 
inquisition being made, the Englishmen, all that time 
wherein the Spanish navy sailed upon their seas, are 
not found to have wanted above one hundredth of their 
people ; albeit Sir Francis Drake's ship was pierced 
with shot above forty times, and his very cabin was 
twice shot through, and, about the conclusion of the 
fight, the bed of a certain gentleman, lying weary there- 
upon, was taken quite from under him with the force of 
a bullet. Likewise, as the Earl of Northumberland and 
Sir Charles Blunt were at dinner upon a time, the bullet 
of a semi-culverin broke through the middle of their 
cabin, touched their feet, and struck down two of the 
standers-by, with many such accidents befalling the 
English ships, which it were tedious to rehearse. 
Thereupon it is most apparent that God miraculously 
preserved the English nation, for the Lord Admiral 
wrote unto her Majesty that in all human reason, and 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 73 

according to the judgment of all men (every circum- 
stance being duly considered), the Englishmen were 
not of any such force whereby they might, without a 
miracle, dare once to approach within sight of the Span- 
ish fleet ; insomuch that they freely ascribed all the 
honor of their victory unto God, who had confounded 
the enemy, and had brought his counsels to none effect. 
The same day the Spanish ships were so battered with 
English shot, that that very night and the day following 
two or three of them sunk right down, and amongst the 
rest a certain great ship of Biscay, which Capt. Crosse 
assaulted, which perished even in the midst of the con- 
flict, so that very few therein escaped drowning, who 
reported that the governors of the same ship slew one 
another, upon the occasion following. One of them which 
would have yielded the ship, was suddenly slain. The 
brother of the slain party, in revenge of his death, slew 
the murderer, and in the mean while the ship sunk. 
The same night two Portugal galleons, of the burden of 
seven or eight hundred tons apiece, to wit, the " Saint 
Philip " and the " Saint Matthew," were forsaken of the 
Spanish fleet, for they were so torn with shot that the 
water entered into them on all sides. In the galleon of 
" Saint Philip " was Francis de Toledo, brother unto the 
Count de Orgas, being colonel over thirty-two bands, 
besides other gentlemen, w r ho, seeing their mast broken 
with shot, they shaped their course, as well as they 
could, for the coast of Flanders, whither, when they 
could not attain, the principal men in the ship, commit- 
ting themselves to their skiff, arrived at the next town, 
which was Ostend, and the ship itself being left behind 
with the residue of their company, w r as taken in by the 
Dutch. 

In the other galleon, called the " Saint Matthew," 
was embarked Don Diego Pementelli, another camp- 



74 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

master and colonel of thirty-two bands, being brother 
unto the Marquis of Tammares, with many other gentle- I 
men and captains. Their ship was not very great, but 
exceeding strong, for of a great number of bullets which 
had battered her, there were scarce twenty wherewith she 
was pierced or hurt ; her upper work was of force suffi- 
cient to bear off a musket-shot ; this ship was shot 
through and pierced in the fight before Grenling, inso- 
much that the leakage of the water could not be stopped, 
whereupon the Duke of Medina sent his great skiff into 
the governor thereof, that he might save himself and the 
principal persons that were in his ship, which he, upon 
a halt courage, refused to do ; wherefore the duke 
charged him to sail next unto himself ; which the night 
following he could not perform, by reason of the great 
abundance of water which entered his ship on all sides, 
for the avoiding whereof, and to save his ship from sink- 
ing, he caused fifty men to labor continually at the 
pump, though it were to small purpose. And seeing 
himself thus forsaken and separated from his admiral, 
he endeavored, what he could, to attain unto the coast 
of Flanders ; where, being espied by four or five men 
of war which had their station assigned them upon the 
same coast, he was admonished to yield himself unto 
them ; which he refusing to do, was strongly assaulted 
by them altogether, and his ship being pierced with 
many bullets, was brought into far worse case than be- 
fore, and forty of his soldiers were slain. By which ex- 
tremity he was enforced, at length, to yield himself unto 
Peter Banderdeufs and other captains, which brought 
him and his ships into Zealand, and that other ship also 
last before mentioned, which both of them, immediately 
after the greater and better part of their goods were in- 
vaded, sunk right down. 

For the memory of this exploit, the foresaid Captain 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 75 

Banderdeufs caused the banner of one of these ships to 
be set up in the great church of Leyden, in Holland, 
which is of so great a length, that being fastened to the 
very roof, it reached down to the ground. 

About the same time another small ship being by ne- 
cessity driven upon the coast of Flanders, about Blau- 
kenberg, was cast away upon the sands, the people 
therein being saved. Thus Almighty God would have 
the Spaniards' huge ships to be presented, not only to 
the view of the English, but also of the Leslanders ; 
that at the sight of them they might acknowledge of 
what small ability they had been to resist such inpreg- 
nable forces, had not God endued them with courage, 
providence, and fortitude, yea, and fought for them in 
many places with his own arm. 

The 29th of July, the Spanish fleet being encoun- 
tered by the English (as is aforesaid), and lying close 
together under their fighting sails, with a southwest 
wind, sailed past Dunkirk, the English ships still follow- 
ing the chase. Of whom the day following, when the 
Spaniards had got sea-room, they cut their mainsails, 
whereby they sufficiently declared that they meant no 
longer to fight, but to fly. For which cause the Lord 
Admiral of England despatched the Lord Henry Sey- 
mour with his squadron of small ships unto the coast of 
Flanders, where, with the help of the Dutch ships, he 
might stop the Prince of Parma his passage, if, perhaps, 
he should attempt to issue forth with his army. And 
he himself, in the mean space, pursued the Spanish 
fleet until the 2d of August, because he thought they 
had set sail for Scotland. And albeit he followed them 
very near, yet did he not assault them any more, for 
want of powder and bullets. 

But upon the 4th of August the wind arising, when 
as the Spaniards had spread all their sails, betaking 



7& STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

themselves wholly to flight, and leaving Scotland on \ 
the left hand, wended toward Norway (whereby they 
sufficiently declared that their whole intent was to save 
themselves by flight, attempting for that purpose, with 
their battered and crazed ships, the most dangerous | 
navigation of the northern seas), the English, seeing 
that they were now proceeding into the latitude of fifty- 
seven degrees, and being unwilling to participate that 
danger whereinto the Spaniards plunged themselves, 
and because they wanted things necessary, and espe- 
cially powder and shot, returned back for England, leav- 
ing behind them certain pinnaces only, which they 
enjoined to follow the Spaniards aloof, and to observe 
their course. And so it came to pass that the 4th of 
August, with great danger and industry, the English' 
arrived at Harwich, for they had been tossed up and 
down with a mighty tempest, for the space of two or 
three days together, which it is likely did great hurt 
unto the Spanish fleet, being (as I said before) so 
maimed and battered. The English, now ■ going on 
shore, provided themselves forthwith of victuals, gun- 
powder, and other things expedient, that they might be 
ready, at all assays, to entertain the Spanish fleet, if it 
chanced any more to return ; but being afterward more 
certainly informed of the Spaniards' course, they thought 
it best to leave them unto those boisterous and uncouth 
northern seas, and not there to hunt after them. 

The Spaniards seeing now that they wanted four or 
five thousand of their people, and having divers maimed 
and sick persons, and likewise having lost ten or twelve 
of their principal ships, they consulted among them- 
selves what they were best to do, being now escaped 
out of the hands of the English, because their victuals 
failed them in like sort, and they began also to want 
cables, cordage, anchors, masts, sails, and other naval 



THE SPANISH ARMADA. 77 

furniture, and bitterly despaired of the Duke of Parma 
his assistance (who, verily hoping and undoubtedly ex- 
pecting the return of the . Spanish fleet, was continually 
occupied about his great preparation, commanding 
abundance of anchors to be made, and other neces- 
sary furniture for a navy to be provided), they thought 
it good at length, as soon as the wind should serve 
them, to fetch a compass about Scotland and Ireland, 
and so to return for Spain. 

For they well understood that commandment was 
given throughout all Scotland that they should not 
have any succor or assistence there. Neither yet could 
they in Norway supply their wants. Therefore, hav- 
ing taken certain Scottish and other fisher boats, they 
brought the men on board their own ships, to the end 
they might be their guides and pilots. Fearing, also, 
lest their fresh water should fail them, they cast all 
their horses and mules overboard, and so touching 
nowhere upon the coast of Scotland, but being carried 
with a fresh gale between the Orcades and Fearilles, 
they proceeded far north, even unto sixty-one degrees 
of latitude, being distant from any land at the least 
forty leagues. Here the Duke of Medina, general 
of the fleet, commanded all his followers to shape 
their course for Biscay, aid he himself, with twenty or 
twenty-five of his ships which were best provided of 
fresh water and other necessaries, holding on his 
course over the main ocean, returned safely home. 
The residue of his ships, being about forty in number, 
and committed unto his vice-admiral, fell nearer with 
the coast of Ireland, intending their course for Cape 
Clear, because they hoped there to get fresh water, and 
to refresh themselves on land. But, after they were 
driven with many contrary winds, at length, upon the 
2d of September, they were cast by a tempest aris- 



78 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

ing from the southwest upon divers parts of Ireland, 
where many of their ships perished. And amongst 
others, the ship of Michael de Oquendo, which was one 
of the great galeases, and the great ships of Venice, 
also, namely, "La Ratta " and " Belanzara," with other 
thirty-six or thirty-eight ships more, which perished in 
sundry tempests, together with most of the persons 
contained in them. Likewise some of the Spanish 
ships were the second time carried with a strong west 
wind into the channel of England, whereof some were 
taken by the English upon their coast, and others by 
the men of Rochelle, upon the coast of France. 



IV. 
BATTLE OF LEPANTO. 

TINGLE FRITZ was a good deal surprised, and a 
J good deal pleased, to see the interest which the 
young people took in the Armada. He said it showed 
that there were a good many things in history of which 
the memory did not die, and he advised boys and girls 
to look up Col. Creasy's book called "The Fifteen 
Decisive Battles of the World." 

"To be sure," said he, "in one sense everything is 
decisive. A boy in a ship-yard gives a rotten treenail 
to the builder instead of a sound one, and the workman, 
because he is lazy, does n't walk ten paces for another. 
And some day, because of their laziness, that plank gives 
way, and that ship goes to the bottom. On that ship is 
the particular case of hashish, which would have saved 
Gen. Grim from the toothache. Gen. Grim takes bad 
hashishJnstead, and advances his right flank unduly in 
the great battle of Bomb-Bomb-Bomb. And so the peace 
of the world is destroyed, and all civilization postponed 
because of a lazy boy and a lazy man in a ship-yard. 

" In a certain sense everything is central. And I think 
the archangels see all these threads, and are interested 
in all the failures and all the successes that follow. But 
for you and me it is different. There are very few points 
from which we can^ trace the successes and failures, and 



8o STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

you can see very well why those points have art interest 
all their own. It would have been a very different thing 
for you boys and girls, and you can see it would, if Philip 
had landed that Spanish army on the coast of England ; 
and if there had been a Spanish or Roman Catholic 
succession there, I should not have been in this chair, 
and you would not have been grouped so nicely round 
my fire." 

So he told them to be ready, before the next Saturday, 
with some account of Philip's naval enterprises, and to 
find out, if they could, how he thought he was master 
of the seas, or had any such navy as this which they 
had seen ruined in the English Channel. And so it hap- 
pened that the next Saturday the young people were all 
full of the story of the invasion of Europe by the Turks. 
They had never thought much of it before, and they 
were very much excited to think by how narrow chances 
the rest of Europe was saved from the fate which has 
devastated this wretched Turkey. 

On land that struggle lasted till the year 1686, when 
the Hungarians drove the Turks to their lairs. " I re- 
member that date," said Oliver Furgerson ; " it is on a 
bit of old Hungarian plate which we use at the Com- 
munion at our church. The Hungarians sent it over 
for a present, and it was a*piece of the oldest plate, for 
the Turks had stolen all they had before." 

" But," said the colonel, " as you have found out, the 
Turkish power had been broken at sea a hundred years 
before. They had to fight the Pope, and Venice, and 
Philip of Spain. The allies had three hundred ves- 
sels. Their commander was Don John, of Austria. 
He was half-brother of Philip the Second, and was only 
twenty-four years old. They say the Turks had a hun- 
dred and twenty thousand men. They had two hun- 
dred and fifty galleys of the largest size, and many 



BATTLE OF LE PANTO. 8 1 

smaller- vessels. On both sides they understood very- 
well that this was wellnigh decisive for Cross or Cres- 
cent, — and it was no boy's play. But I will not tell 
you the story. Florence, dear, do you bring us Pres- 
cott's ' Philip the Second,' and read it to us." 

And Florence read it very prettily. Her voice is on a 
nice low register, and she doesn't scream. She reads 
fast, but not too fast, and you never once think that it 
is a lesson at school. 

LEPANTO. 

In the centre of the extended line, and directly oppo- 
site to the station occupied by the captain-general of 
the League, was the huge galley of Ali Pasha. The 
right of the armada was commanded by Mahomet 
Sirocco, Viceroy of Egypt, a circumspect as well as 
courageous leader ■ the left by Uluch Ali, Dey of Al- 
giers, the redoubtable corsair of the Mediterranean. 
Ali Pasha had experienced a difficulty like that of Don 
John, as several of his officers had strongly urged the 
inexpediency of engaging so formidable an armament as 
that of the allies. But Ali, like his rival, was young 
•and ambitious. He had been sent by his master to 
fight the enemy, and no remonstrances, not even those 
of Mahomet Sirocco, for whom he had great respect, 
could turn him from his purpose. 

He had, moreover, received intelligence that the allied 
fleet was much inferior in strength to what it proved. 
In this error he was fortified by the first appearance of 
the Christians, for the extremity of their left wing, 
commanded by Barbarigo, stretching behind the ^Eto- 
lian shore, was hidden from his view. As he drew 
nearer, and saw the whole extent of the Christian lines, 
it is said his countenance fell. If so, he still did not 
abate one jot of his resolution. He spoke to those 



82 S TORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

around him with the same confidence as before, of the 
result of the battle. He urged his rowers to strain 
every nerve. All was a man of more humanity in his 
nature than often belonged to his nation. His galley- 
slaves were all, or nearly all. Christian captives ; and he 
addressed them in this brief and pithy manner: "If 
your countrymen are to win this day, Allah give you the 
benefit of it ; yet if I win it, you shall certainly have 
your freedom. If you feel that I do well by you, do 
then the like by me." 

As the Turkish admiral drew nearer, he made a 
change in his order of battle, by separating his wings 
farther from his centre, thus conforming to the disposi- 
tions of the allies. Before he had come within cannon- 
shot, he tired a gun by way of challenge to his enemy. 
It was answered by another from the galley of John of 
Austria. A second gun, discharged by Ali, was as 
promptly replied to by the Christian commander. The 
distance between the two fleets was now rapidly dimin- 
ishing. At this solemn moment a deathlike silence 
reigned throughout the armament of the confederates. 
Men seemed to hold their breath, as if absorbed in the 
expectation of some great catastrophe. The day was 
magnificent. A light breeze, still adverse to the Turks, 
played on the waters, somewhat fretted by the contrary 
winds. It was nearly noon ; and as the sun, mounting 
through a cloudless sky, rose to the zenith, he seemed 
to pause, as if to look down on the beautiful scene 
where the multitude of galleys, moving over the water, 
showed like a holiday spectacle rather than a prepara- 
tion for mortal combat. 

The illusion was soon dispelled by the fierce yells 
which rose on the air from the Turkish armada. It 
was the customary war-cry with which the Moslems 
entered into battle. Very different was the scene on 



BATTLE OF LE PANTO. %3 

board of the Christian galleys. Don John might be 
there seen, armed cap-a-pie, standing on the prow of the 
"Real," anxiously awaiting the conflict. In this con- 
spicuous position, kneeling down, he raised his eyes to 
heaven, and humbly prayed that the Almighty would be 
with his people on that day. His example was fol- 
lowed by the whole fleet. Officers and men, all pros- 
trating themselves on their knees, and turning their 
eyes to the consecrated banner which floated from the 
" Real," put up a petition like that of their commander. 
They then received absolution from the priests, of whom 
there were some in every vessel, and each man, as he 
rose to his feet, gathered new strength, as he felt 
assured that the Lord of Hosts would fight on his 
side.* 

When the foremost vessels of the Turks had come 
within cannon-shot, they opened their fire on the Chris- 
tians. The firing soon ran along the whole of the 
Turkish line, and was kept up without interruption as it 
advanced. Don John gave orders for trumpet and 
atabel to sound the signal for action, which was fol- 
lowed by the simultaneous discharge of such of the 
guns in the combined fleet as could be brought to bear 
on the enemy. The Spanish commander had caused 
the galeases, those mammoth war-ships, of which 
some account has been already given, to be towed half 
a mile ahead of the fleet, where' they might intercept 
the advance of the Turks. As the latter came abreast 
of them, the huge galleys delivered their broadsides 
right and left, and their heavy ordnance produced a 

* This fact is told by most of the historians of the battle. The 
author of the manuscript so often cited by me further says, that it 
was while the fleet was thus engaged in prayer for aid from the 
Almighty that the change of wind took place. — Citation in Span- 
ish. 



84 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

startling effect. Ali Pasha gave orders for his galleys 
to open their line, and pass on either side, without en- 
gaging these monsters of the deep, of which he had 
had no experience. Even so their heavy guns did con- 
siderable damage to several of the nearest vessels, and 
created some confusion in the pasha's line of battle. 
They were, however, but unwieldy craft, and, having 
accomplished their object, seem to have taken no fur- 
ther part in the combat. 

The action began on the left wing of the allies, which 
Mahomet Sirocco was desirous of turning. This had 
been anticipated by Barbarigo, the Venetian admiral, 
who commanded in that quarter. To prevent it, as we 
have seen, he lay with his vessels as near the coast as he 
dared. Sirocco, better acquainted with the soundings, 
saw there was space enough for him to pass, and, darting 
by with all the speed that oars could give him, he suc- 
ceeded in doubling on his enemy. Thus placed between 
wo fires, the extreme of the Christian left fought at ter- 
rible disadvantage. No less than eight galleys went to 
the bottom, and several others were captured. The 
brave Barbarigo, throwing himself into the heat of the 
fight, without availing himself of his defensive armor, 
was pierced in the eye by an arrow, and, reluctant to 
leave the glory of the field to another, was borne to 
his cabin The combat still continued with unabated 
fury on the part of the Venetians. They fought like 
men who felt that the war was theirs, and who were 
animated not only by the thirst for glory, but for 
revenge. 

Far on the Christian right, a manoeuvre similar to 
that so successfully executed by Sirocco was attempted 
by Uluch Ali, the Dey of Algiers. Profiting by his 
superiority in numbers, he endeavored to turn the right 
wing of the confederates. It was in this quarter that 



BATTLE OF LEPANTO. 85 

Andrew Doria commanded. He had foreseen this 
movement of his enemy, and he succeeded in foiling 
it. It was a trial of skill between the two most accom- 
plished seamen in the Mediterranean. Doria extended 
his line so far to the right, indeed, to prevent being 
surrounded, that Don John was obliged to remind him 
that he left the centre too much exposed. His diposi- 
tions were so far unfortunate for himself, that his own 
line was thus weakened, and afforded some vulnerable 
points to his assailant. These were soon detected by 
the eagle eye of Uluch Ali, and like the king of birds 
swooping on his prey, he fell on some galleys separated 
by a considerable interval from their companions, and, 
sinking more than one, carried off the great " Capi- 
tana," of Malta, in triumph as his prize. 

While the combat opened thus disastrously to the 
allies, both on the right and on the left, in the centre 
they may be said to have fought with doubtful fortune. 
Don John had led his division gallantly forward. But 
the object on which he was intent was an encounter 
with Ali Pasha, the foe most worthy of his sword. 
The Turkish commander had the same combat no less at 
heart. The galleys of both were easily recognized, not 
only from their position, but from their superior size 
and richer decoration. The one, moreover, displayed 
the holy banner of the League ; the other, the great 
Ottoman standard. This, like the ancient standard of 
the caliphs, was held sacred in its character. It was 
covered with texts from the Koran, emblazoned in letters 
of gold, and had the name of Allah inscribed upon it 
no less than twenty-eight thousand nine hundred times. 
It was the banner of the sultan, having passed from 
father to son since the foundation of the imperial 
dynasty, and was never seen in the field unless the 
grand seigneur or his lieutenant was there in person. 



86 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Both the chiefs urged on their rowers to the top of 
their speed. Their galleys soon shot ahead of the rest 
of the line, driven through the boiling surges as by the 
force of a tornado, and closed with a shock that made 
every timber crack, and the two vessels quiver to their 
very keels. So powerful, indeed, was the impetus they 
received, that the pasha's galley, which was consider- 
ably the larger and loftier of the two, was thrown so far 
upon its opponent that the prow reached the fourth 
bench of rowers. As soon as the vessels were disen- 
gaged from each other, and those on board had recov- 
ered from the shock, the work of death began. Don 
John's chief strength consisted in some three hundred 
Spanish arquebusiers, culled from the flower of his 
infantry. Ali, on the other hand, was provided with an 
equal number of janizaries. He was followed by a 
smaller vessel, in which two hundred more were sta- 
tioned as a corps de reserve. He had, moreover, a hun- 
dred archers on board. The bow was still as much in 
use with the Turks as with the other Moslems. 

The pasha opened at once on his enemy a terrible 
fire of cannon and musketry. It was returned with equal 
spirit and much more effect ; for the Turks were ob- 
served to shoot over the heads of their adversaries. 
The Moslem galley was unprovided with the defences 
which protected the sides of the Spanish vessels ; and 
the troops, crowded together on the lofty prow, pre- 
sented an easy mark to their enemy's balls. But 
though numbers of them fell at every discharge, their 
places were soon supplied by those in reserve. They 
were enabled, therefore, to keep up an incessant fire, 
which wasted the strength of the Spaniards ; and as 
both Christian and Mussulman fought with indomitable 
spirit, it seemed doubtful to which side victory would 
incline. 



BATTLE OF LEPANTO. 87 

The affair was made more complicated by the en- 
trance of other parties into the conflict. Both Ali and 
Don John were supported by some of the most valiant 
captains in their fleets. Next to the Spanish com- 
mander, as we have seen, were Colonna and the veteran 
Veniero, who, at the age of seventy-six, performed feats 
of arms worthy of a paladin of romance. In this way 
a little squadron of combatants gathered round the 
principal leaders, who sometimes found themselves 
assailed by several enemies at the same time. Still the 
chiefs did not lose sight of one another, but, beating off 
their inferior foes as well as they could, each refusing to 
loosen his hold, clung with mortal grasp to his antag- 
onist. 

Thus the fight raged along the whole extent of the 
entrance to the Gulf of Lepanto. The volumes of vapor 
rolling heavily over the waters effectually shut out from 
sight whatever was passing at any considerable distance, 
unless when a fresher breeze dispelled the smoke for a 
moment, or the flashes of the heavy guns threw a tran- 
sient gleam on the dark canopy of battle. If the eye of 
the spectator could have penetrated the cloud of smoke 
that enveloped the combatants, and have embraced the 
whole scene at a glance, he would have perceived them 
broken up into small detachments, separately engaged 
one with another, independently of the reit, and indeed 
ignorant of all that was doing in other quarters. The 
contest exhibited few of those large combinations and 
skilful manoeuvres to be expected in a great naval 
encounter. It was rather an assemblage of petty 
actions, resembling those on land. The galleys, grap- 
pling together, presented a level arena, on which soldier 
and galley-slave fought hand to hand, and the fate of 
the engagement was generally decided by boarding. As 
in most hand-to-hand contests, there was an enormous 



88 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

waste of life. The decks were loaded with corpses, 
Christian and Moslem lying promiscuously together in 
the embrace of death. Instances are recorded where 
every man on board was slain or wounded. It was a 
ghastly spectacle, where blood flowed in rivulets down 
the sides of the vessels, staining the waters of the gulf 
for miles around. 

It seemed as if a hurricane had swept over the sea, 
and covered it with the wreck of the noble armaments 
which a moment before were so proudly riding on its 
bosom. Little had they now to remind one of their 
late magnificent array, with their hulls battered, their 
masts and spars gone or splintered by the shot, their 
canvas cut into shreds and floating wildly in the breeze, 
while thousands of wounded and drowning men were 
clinging to the floating fragments and calling piteously 
for help. Such was the wild uproar which succeeded 
the Sabbath-like stillness that two hours before had 
reigned over these beautiful solitudes. 

The left wing. of the confederates, commanded by 
Barbarigo, had been sorely pressed by the Turks, as 
we have seen, at the beginning of the fight. Barbarigo 
himself had been mortally wounded. His line had 
been turned. Several of his galleys had been sunk. 
But the Venetians gathered courage from despair. By 
incredible efforts, they succeeded in beating off their 
enemies. They became the assailants in their turn. 
Sword in hand, they carried one vessel after another. 
The Capuchin was seen in the thickest of the fight, 
waving aloft his crucifix, and leading the boarders to 
the assault. The Christian galley-slaves, in some in- 
stances, broke their fetters, and joined their country- 
men against their masters. Fortunately, the vessel of 
Mahomet Sirocco, the Moslem admiral, was sunk ; and, 
though extricated from the water himself, it was only 



BATTLE OF LEPANTO. 89 

to perish by the sword of his conqueror, Giovanni 
Contarini. The Venetian could find in his heart no 
mercy for the Turk. 

The fall of their commander gave the final blow to 
his followers. Without further attempt to prolong the 
fight, they fled before the avenging swords of the Vene- 
tians. Those nearest the land endeavored to escape 
by running their vessels ashore, where they abandoned 
them as prizes to the Christians. Yet many of the 
fugitives, before gaining the land, perished miserably 
in the waves. Barbarigo, the Venetian admiral, who 
was still lingering in agony, heard the tidings of the 
enemy's defeat, and, uttering a few words expressive of 
his gratitude to heaven, which had permitted him to 
see this hour, he breathed his last. 

During this time the combat had been going forward 
in the centre between the two commanders-in-chief, 
Don John and Ali Pasha, whose galleys blazed with an 
incessant fire of artillery and musketry, that enveloped 
them like "a martyr's robe of flames." The parties 
fought with equal spirit, though not with equal fortune. 
Twice the Spaniards had boarded their enemy, and 
both times they had been repulsed with loss. Still their 
superiority in the use of fire-arms would have given 
them a decided advantage over their opponents, if the 
loss they had inflicted had not been speedily repaired 
by fresh reinforcements. More than once the contest 
between the two chieftains was interrupted by the 
arrival of ""others to take part in the fray. They soon, 
however, returned to each other, as if unwilling to waste 
their strength on a meaner enemy. Through the whole 
engagement both commanders exposed themselves to 
danger as freely as any common soldier. In such a 
contest even Philip must have admitted that it would 
be difficult for his brother to find, with honor, a place 



90 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

of safety. Don John received a wound in the foot. It 
was a slight one, however, and he would not allow it 
to be dressed until the action was over. 

Again his men were mustered, and a third time the 
trumpets sounded to the attack. It was more success- 
ful than the preceding. The Spaniards threw them- 
selves boldly into the Turkish galley. They were met 
with the same spirit as before by the janizaries. Ali 
Pasha led them on. Unfortunately, at this moment 
he was struck in the head by a musket-ball, and 
stretched senseless in the gangway. His men fought 
worthily of their ancient renown. But they missed the 
accustomed voice of their commander. After a short, 
but ineffectual struggle against the fiery impetuosity of 
the Spaniards, they were overpowered, and threw down 
their arms. The decks were loaded with the bodies of 
the dead and the dying. Beneath these was discov- 
ered the Turkish commander-in-chief, severely wounded, 
but perhaps not mortally. He was drawn forth by 
some Castilian soldiers, who, recognizing his person, 
would at once have despatched him ; but the disabled 
chief, having rallied from the first effects of his wound, 
had sufficient presence of mind to divert them from 
their purpose by pointing out the place below where he 
had deposited his money and jewels ; and they has- 
tened to profit by the disclosure before the treasure 
should fall into into the hands of their comrades. 

Ali was not so successful with another soldier who 
came up soon after, brandishing his sword, and pre- 
paring to plunge it into the body of the prostrate com- 
mander. It was in vain that the latter endeavored to 
turn the ruffian from his purpose. He was a convict, 
one of those galley-slaves whom Don John had caused 
to be unchained from the oar, and furnished with arms. 
He could not believe that any treasure would be worth 



. BATTLE OF LE PANTO. 91 

so much as the head of the pasha. Without further 
hesitation, he dealt him a blow which severed it from 
his shoulders. Then, returning to his galley, he laid 
the bloody trophy before Don John. But he had mis- 
calculated on his recompense. His commander gazed 
on it with a look of pity mingled with horror. He may 
have thought of the generous conduct of AH to his 
Christian captives, and have felt that he deserved a 
better fate. He coldly inquired of what use such a 
present could be to him ; and then ordered it to be 
thrown into the sea. Far from the order being obeyed, 
it is said the head was stuck on a pike, and raised 
aloft, on board of the captured galley. At the same 
time, the banner of the Crescent was pulled down ; 
while that of the Cross run up in its place proclaimed 
the downfall of the pasha. 

The sight of the sacred ensign was welcomed by the 
Christians with a shout of " Victory " which rose high 
above the din of battle. The tidings of the death of 
Ali soon passed from mouth to mouth, giving fresh 
heart to the confederates, but falling like a knell on the 
ears of the Moslems. Their confidence was gone. 
Their fire slackened. Their efforts grew weaker and 
weaker. They were too far from shore to seek an 
asylum there, like their comrades on the right. -They 
had no resource but to prolong the combat or to sur- 
render. Most preferred the latter. Many vessels were 
carried by boarding, others were sunk by the victorious 
Christians. Ere four hours had elapsed, the centre, 
like the right wing of the Moslems, might be said to be 
annihilated. 

Still the fight was lingering on the right of the con- 
federates, where, it will be remembered, Uluch Ali, the 
Algerine chief, had profited by Doria's error in extend- 
ing his line so far as greatly to weaken it. Uluch Ali, 



92 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

attacking it on its most vulnerable quarter, had suc- 
ceeded, as we have seen, in capturing and destroying 
several vessels, and would have inflicted still heavier 
losses on his enemy, had it not been for the season- 
able succor received from the Marquis of Santa Cruz. 
This brave officer, who commanded the reserve, had 
already been of much service to Don John when the 
" Real " was assailed by several Turkish galleys at 
once, during his combat with Ali Pasha ; for at this 
juncture the Marquis of Santa Cruz arriving, and beat- 
ing off the asailants, one of whom he afterwards cap- 
tured, enabled the commander-in-chief to resume his 
engagement with the pasha. 

No sooner did Santa Cruz learn the critical situation 
of Doria, than, supported by Cardona, general of the 
Sicilian squadron, he pushed forward to his relief. 
Dashing into the midst of the melee, the two com- 
manders fell like a thunderbolt on the Algerine gal- 
leys. Few attempted to withstand the shock; but in 
their haste to avoid it, they were encountered by Doria 
and his Genoese galleys. Thus beset on all sides, 
Uluch Ali was compelled to abandon his prizes and 
provide for his own safety by flight. He cut adrift the 
Maltese " Capitana," which he had lashed to his stern, 
and on which three hundred corpses attested the desper- 
ate character of her defence. As tidings reached him 
of the discomfiture of the centre and of the death of 
Ali Pasha, he felt that nothing remained but to make 
the best of his way from the fatal scene of action, and 
save as many of his own ships as he could. And there 
were no ships in the Turkish fleet superior to his, or 
manned by men under more perfect discipline ; for 
they were the famous corsairs of the Mediterranean, 
who had been rocked from infancy on its waters. 

Throwing out his signals for retreat, the Algerine 
was soon to be seen at the head of his squadron, 



BATTLE OF LE PANTO. 93 

standing towards the north, under as much canvas as 
remained to him after the battle, and urged forward 
through the deep by the whole strength of his oars- 
men. Doria and Santa Cruz followed quickly in his 
wake. But he was borne on the wings of the wind, and 
soon distanced his pursuers. Don John, having dis- 
posed of his own assailants, was coming to the support 
of Doria, and now joined in the pursuit of the viceroy. 
A rocky headland, stretching far into the sea, lay in 
the path of the fugitive, and his enemies hoped to inter- 
cept him there. Some few of his vessels were stranded 
on the rocks ; but the rest, near forty in number, standing 
more boldly out to sea, safely doubled the promontory. 
Then quickening their flight, they gradually faded from 
the horizon, their white sails the last thing visible, 
showing in the distance like a flock of Arctic sea-fowl 
on their way to their native homes. The confederates 
explained the inferior sailing of their own galleys, on this 
occasion, by the circumstance of their rowers, who had 
been allowed to bear arms in the fight, being crippled 
by their wounds. 

The battle had lasted more than four hours. The 
sky, which had been almost without a cloud through 
the day, began now to be overcast, and showed signs of 
a coming storm. Before seeking a place of shelter for 
himself and his prizes, Don John reconnoitred the scene 
of action. He met with several vessels too much damaged 
for further service. These, mostly belonging to the ene- 
my, after saving what was of any value on board, he or- 
dered to be burnt. He selected the neighboring port of 
Petala as affording the most secure and accessible harbor 
for the night. Before he had arrived there, the tempest 
began to mutter and darkness was on the water. Yet 
the darkness rendered only more visible the blazing 
wrecks, which, sending up streams of fire mingled with 
showers of sparks, looked like volcanoes on the deep. 



V. 
SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE. 

LEPANTO and the Spanish Armada set the best 
readers in the little circle to work on the rivalry be- 
tween Spain and England. Some of them had read 
Charles Kingsley's novel of " Amyas Leigh," and were 
alive with its hearty inspiration. It describes a young 
Englishman who was brought up in the days of that 
happy education, when it was left to men to study 
books, but when boys were simply taught to read, to 
work, to tell the truth, and to fight the Spaniard. " To 
fight the Spaniard " was a short phrase for opposing to 
the death falsehood, lust, cruelty, and bigotry in every 
form. The young men who did this best, such men as 
Amyas Leigh is represented to be, — such men as Ra- 
leigh, and Sidney, and Spenser, and Richard Grenville, 
— kept their bodies pure, kept their minds clear, and, 
for their souls, read their Bibles and prayed to God. I 
think it was Maud Ingletree who brought round to the 
meeting, after the Lepanto reading, Tennyson's spirited 
poem about Sir Richard Grenville's fight off the Azores, 
and she read it as her contribution. 



SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE. 95 



THE REVENGE: A BALLAD OF THE FLEET. 

At Flores in the Azores Sir Richard Grenville lay, 
And a pinnace, like a fluttered bird, came flying from far away : 
" Spanish ships of war at sea ! we have sighted fifty-three ! " 
Then sware Lord Thomas Howard : " 'Fore God I am no coward ; 
But I cannot meet them here, for my ships are out of gear, 
And the half my men are sick. I must fly, but follow quick. 
We are six ships of the line ; can we fight with fifty-three ? " 

Then spake Sir Richard Grenville : " I know you are no coward ; 

You fly them for a moment to fight with them again. 

But I 've ninety men and more that are lying sick ashore. 

I should count myself a coward if I left them, my Lord Howard, 

To these Inquisition dogs and the devildoms of Spain." 

So Lord Howard past away with five ships of war that day, 

Till he melted like a cloud in the silent summer heaven ; 

But Sir Richard bore in hand all his sick men from the land 

Very carefully and slow, 

Men of Bideford in Devon, 

And we laid them on the ballast down below ; 

For we brought them all aboard, 

And they blest him in their pain, that they were not left to Spain, 

To the thumb-screw and the stake, for the glory of the Lord. 

He had only a hundred seamen to work the ship and fight, 
And he sail'd away from Flores till the Spaniard came in sight, 
With his huge sea-castles heaving upon the weather-bow. 
" Shall we fight or shall we fly ? 
Good Richard, let us know, 
For to fight is but to die ! 

There '11 be little of us left by the time this sun be set." 
And Sir Richard said again, " We be all good Englishmen. 
Let us bang these dogs of Seville, the children of the devil, 
For I never turned my back upon Don or devil yet." 

Sir Richard spoke and he laugh'd, and we roar'd a hurrah, and so 
The little " Revenge " ran on sheer into the heart of the foe, 
With her hundred fighters on deck, and her ninety sick below ; 
For half of their fleet to the right, and half to the left were seen, 
And the little " Revenge " ran on thro' the long sea-lane between. 



g6 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Thousands of their soldiers looked down from their decks and 

laughed, 
Thousands of their seamen made mock at the mad little craft. 
Running on and on, till delay'd 

By their mountain-like " San Philip," that, of fifteen hundred tons, 
And up-shadowing high above us, with her yawning tiers of guns, 
Took the breath from our sails, and we stay'd. 

And while now the great " San Philip" hung above us like a cloud, 

Whence the thunder-bolt will fall, 

Long and loud. 

Four galleons drew away 

From the Spanish fleet that day, 

And two upon the larboard, and two upon the starboard lay, 

And the battle-thunder broke from them all. 

But anon the great " San Philip," she bethought herself and went, 
Having that within her womb that had left her ill-content ; 
And the rest they came aboard us, and fought us hand to hand, 
For a dozen times they came, with their pikes and musketeers, 
And a dozen times we shook 'em off, as a dog that shakes his ears 
When he leaps from the water to the land. 

And the sun went down, and the stars came out far over the sum- 
mer sea, 

But never a moment ceased the fight of the one and the fifty-three. 

Ship after ship, the whole night Jong, their high-built galleons came, 

Ship after ship, the whole night long, with her battle-thunder and 
flame ; 

Ship after ship, the whole night long, drew back with her dead and 
her shame. 

And some were sunk, and many were shatter'd, and so could fight 
us no more, — 

God of battles, was ever a battle like this in the world before ? 

For he said, " Fight on ! Fight on ! " 

Though his vessel was but a wreck ; 

And it chanced that, when half of the summer night was gone, 

With a grisly wound to be drest, he had left the deck, 

But a bullet struck him that was dressing it suddenly dead, 

And himself he was wounded again in the side and the head, 

And he said, " Fight on ! Fight on ! '' 



SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE. 97 

And the night went down, and the sun smiled out fair on the sum- 
mer sea, 

And the Spanish fleet with broken sides lay round us all in a ring; 

But they dared not touch us again, for they fear'd that we still 
could sting, 

And they watch'd what the end would be. 

And we had not fought them in vain, 

But in perilous plight were we, 

Seeing forty of our poor hundred were slain, 

And half of the rest of us maim'dfor life 

In the crash of the cannonades, and the desperate strife ; 

And the sick men down in the hold were most of them stark and 
cold, 

And the pikes were all broken or bent, and the powder was all of 
it spent ; 

And the masts and the riggings were lying over the side ; 

But Sir Richard cried, in his English pride, 

" We have fought such a fight for a day and a night 

A s may never be fought again ! 

We have won great glory, my men ! 

And a day, less or more 

At sea or ashore, 

We die, — does it matter where ? 

Sink we the ship, Master Gunner — sink her, split her in twain ! 

Fall into the hands of God, not into the hands of Spain ! " 

And the gunner said, " Ay, ay," but the seamen made reply : 

" We have children, we have wives, 

And the Lord hath spared our lives. 

We will make the Spaniard promise, if we yield, to let us go ; 

We shall live to fight again, and to strike another blow." 

And the lion there lay dying, and they yielded to the foe. 

And the stately Spanish men to their flag-ship bore him then, 
W T here they laid him by the mast, old Sir Richard caught at last ; 
And they praised him to his face, with their courtly foreign grace; 
But he rose upon their decks, and he cried, — 
*' I have fought for Queen and Faith, like a valiant man and true J 
I have only done my duty as a man is bound to do. 
With a joyful spirit I, Sir Richard Grenville, die ! " 
And he fell upon their decks, and he died. 

And they stared at the dead that had been so valiant and true, 
And had holden the power and glory of Spain so cheap, 



9$ STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

That he dared her with one little ship and his English few. 

Was he devil or man ? He was devil for aught they knew. 

But they sank his body with honor down into the deep, 

And they mann'd the " Revenge " with a swarthier alien crew, 

And away she sail'd with her loss and long'd for her own, 

When a wind from the lands they had ruin'd awoke from sleep, 

And the water began to heave and the weather to moan ; 

And or ever that evening ended, a great gale blew, 

And a wave, like the wave that is raised by an earthquake grew, 

Till it smote on their hulls, and their sails, and their masts, and their 

flags, 
And the whole sea plunged and fell on the shot-shatter'd navy of 

Spain ; 
And the little " Revenge " herself went down by the island crags, 
To be lost evermore in the main. 

This set the others on the alert to know where Ten- 
nyson read up for that ; and, with some condensation, 
here is the story. Grenville has a special interest for 
us, because he landed the first colony of emigrants in 
North Carolina, — the unsuccessful colony, under Lane, 
in 1585. That was the colony which Sidney wanted to 
join. 

A REPORT 



TRUTH OF THE FIGHT ABOUT THE ISLES OF 
AZORES THE LAST OF AUGUST, 1591, 



THE "REVENGE" ONE OF HER MAJESTY'S SHIPS, 
AND AN ARMADA OF THE KING OF SPAIN, 

PENNED BV THE HONORABLE SIR WALTER RALEIGH, KNIGHT. 

The Lord Thomas Howard, with six of her Majesty's 
ships, six victuallers of London, the bark "Raleigh," and 
two or three other pinnaces, riding at anchor near unto 
Flores, one of the westerly islands of the Azores, the 



SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE. 99 

last of August, in the afternoon, had intelligence by one 
Capt. Middleton of the approach of the Spanish Ar- 
mada. Which Middleton being in a very good sailer, 
had kept them company three days before, of good pur- 
pose, both to discover their forces the more, as also to 
give advice to my Lord Thomas of their approach. He 
had no sooner delivered the news than the fleet was in 
sight ; many of our ships' companies were on shore in 
the islands, some providing ballast for their ships, oth- 
ers filling of water and refreshing themselves from the 
land, with such things as they could, either for money 
or by force, recover. By reason whereof our ships be- 
ing pestered, and rummaging everything out of order, 
very light for want of ballast, and that which was most 
to our disadvantage, the one half part of the men of 
every ship sick, and utterly unserviceable, for in the 
"Revenge" there were ninety deceased ; in the " Bona- 
venture," not so many in health as could handle her 
mainsail. 

For had not twenty men been taken out of a bark of 
Sir George Carey's, his being commanded to be sunk, 
and those appointed to her, she had hardly ever recov- 
ered England. The rest, for the most part, were in lit- 
tle better state. The names of her Majesty's ships 
were these, as follows : the " Defiance," which was 
admiral, the " Revenge," vice-admiral, the " Bonaven- 
ture," commanded by Capt. Crosse, the "Lion," by 
George Fenner, the " Foresight," by M. Thomas Vava- 
sour, and the "Crane," by Duffild, the "Foresight" 
and the " Crane" being but small ships ; only the other 
were of middle size ; the rest, besides the bark " Ra- 
leigh," were of victuallers and of small force or^none. 

The Spanish fleet having shrouded their approach by 
reason of the island, were now so soon at hand as our 
ships had scarce time to weigh their anchors, but some 



IOO STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

of them were driven to let their cables and set sail. Sir 
Richard Grenville was the last that weighed, to recover 
the men that were upon the island, which otherwise had 
been lost. The Lord Thomas, with the rest, very hardly 
recovered the wind, which Sir Richard Grenville not be- 
ing able to do, was persuaded by the master and others 
to cut mainsail and cast about, and trust to the sailing 
of the ship ; for the squadron of Sivil were on his 
weather-bow. But Sir Richard utterly refused to turn 
from the enemy, alleging that he would rather choose 
to die than to dishonor himself, his country, and her 
Majesty's ship, persuading his company that he would 
pass through the two squadrons in despite of them, and 
engage those of Sivil to give him way. Which he per- 
formed upon divers of the foremost, who, as the mar- 
iners term it, sprang their luff, and fell under the lee of 
the " Revenge." But the other course had been better, 
and might right well have been answered in so great an 
impossibility of prevailing. Notwithstanding, out of the 
greatness of his mind, he could not be persuaded. In 
the mean while, as he attended those which were near- 
est him, the great " San Philip " being in the wind of 
him, and coming towards him, becalmed his sails in 
such sort as the ship could neither make way nor feel 
the helm ; so huge and high carged was the Spanish 
ship, being of a thousand and five hundred tons, who 
after laid the " Revenge " aboard. When he was thus 
bereft of his sails, the ships that were under his lee 
luffing up, also laid him aboard ; of which the next was 
the admiral of the " Biscaines," a very mighty and puis- 
sant ship, commanded by Brittandona. The said 
"Philip" carried three tier of ordnance on a side, and 
eleven pieces in every tier. She shot eight forth, right 
out of her chase, besides those of her stern-ports. 

After the " Revenge " was entangled with this ;' Phil- 



SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE. IOI 

ip," four others boarded her ; two on her larboard, and 
two on her starboard. The fight thus beginning at 
three o'clock in the afternoon, continued very ter- 
rible all that evening. But the great "San Philip," 
having received the lower tier of the " Revenge," dis- 
charged with cross-bar shot, shifted with all diligence from 
her sides, utterly misliking her first entertainment. Some 
say that the ship foundered, but we cannot report it for 
truth, unless we were assured. The Spanish ships were 
filled with companies of soldiers, in some two hundred, 
besides the mariners ; in some five, in others eight hun- 
dred. In ours there were none at all besides the mar- 
iners, but the servants of the commanders, and some 
few voluntary gentlemen only. After many interchanged 
volleys of great ordnance and small shot, the Spaniards 
deliberated to enter the " Revenge," and made divers 
attempts, hoping to force her by the multitudes of their 
armed soldiers and musketeers, but were still repulsed 
again and again, and at all times beaten back into their 
own ships or into the seas. In the beginning of the 
fight, the "George Noble," of London, having received 
some shot through her, by the armadas, fell under the 
lee of the " Revenge," and asked Sir Richard what he 
would command him, being one of the victuallers, and 
of small force. Sir Richard bade him save himself, and 
leave him to his fortune. * After the fight had thus, 
without intermission, continued while the day lasted, and 
some hours of the night, many of our men were slain 
and hurt, and one of the great galleons of the armada, 
and the admiral of the hulks, both sunk, and in many 
other of the Spanish ships great slaughter was made. 
Some write that Sir Richard was very dangerously hurt 
almost in the beginning of the fight, and lay speechless 
for a time ere he recovered. But two of the "Re- 
venge's " own company, brought home in a ship of Lime, 



102 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

from the islands, examined by some of the lords and 
others, affirmed that he was never so wounded as that 
he forsook the upper deck, till an hour before midnight ; 
and then being shot into the body with a musket, as he 
was a-dressing, was again shot in the head, and, withal, 
his chirurgion wounded to death. This agreelh also 
with an examination taken by Sir Francis Godolphin, of 
four other mariners of the same ship, being returned, 
which examination the said Sir Francis sent unto Master 
William Killegrue of her Majesty's privy chamber. 

But to return to the fight ; the Spanish ships which 
attempted to board the " Revenge," as they were 
wounded and beaten off, so always others came in their 
places, she having never less than two mighty galleons 
by her sides, and aboard her, so that ere the morning, 
from three o'clock the day before, there had fifteen 
several armadas assailed her ; and all so ill approved 
their entertainment, as they were, by the break of day 
far more willing to hearken to a composition than has- 
tily to make any more assaults or entries. But as the 
day increased, so ours decreased ; and as the light grew 
more and more, by so much more -grew our discomforts, 
for none appeared in sight but enemies, saving one 
small ship, called the " Pilgrim," commanded by Jacob 
Whiddon, who hovered all night to see the success, but 
in the morning, bearing with the " Revenge," was hunted 
like a hare amongst many ravenous hounds, but escaped. 

All the powder of the " Revenge," to the last barrel, 
was now spent, all her pikes broken, forty of her best 
men slain, and the most part of the rest hurt. In the 
beginning of the fight she had but one hundred free 
from sickness, and fourscore and ten sick laid in hold 
upon the ballast. A small troop to man such a ship, 
and a weak garrison to resist so mighty an army. By 
those hundred all was sustained, the volleys, boardings, 



SIR RICHARD GRENVILLE. 103 

and enterings of fifteen ships of war, besides those 
which beat her at large. On the contrary, the Spanish 
were always supplied with soldiers brought from every 
squadron, all manner of arms, and powder at will. 
Unto ours there remained no comfort at all, no hope, 
no supply of either ships, men, or weapons, the masts all 
beaten overboard, all her tackle cut asunder, her upper 
work altogether razed, and in effect evened she was with 
the water, but the very foundation or bottom of a ship, 
nothing being left overhead, either for flight or defence. 
Sir Richard, finding himself in this distress, and unable 
any longer to make resistance, having endured, in this 
fifteen hours' fight, the assault of fifteen several armadas, 
all by turns aboard him, and by estimation eight hun- 
dred shot of great artillery, besides many assaults and 
entries ; and that the ship and himself must needs be 
possessed by the enemy, who were now all cast in a ring 
round him (the " Revenge " not being able to move one 
way or other but as she was moved with the waves and 
billows of the sea), commanded the master gunner, whom 
he knew to be a most resolute man, to split and sink the 
ship, that thereby nothing might remain of glory or 
victory to the Spaniards ; seeing so in many hours' fight, 
and with so great a navy, they were not able to take 
her, having had fifteen hours' time, above ten thousand 
men, and fifty-three sail of men of war to perform it 
withal, and persuaded the company, or as many as he 
could induce, to yield themselves unto God, and to the 
mercy of none else ; but as they had, like valiant, reso- 
lute men, repulsed so many enemies, they should not 
now shorten the honor of their nation by prolonging 
their lives for a few hours or a few days. The master 
gunner readily condescended, and divers others, but the 
captain and mate were of another opinion, and besought 
Sir Richard to have care of them, alleging that the 



104 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Spaniards would be as ready to entertain a composition 
as they were willing to offer the same ; and that there 
being divers sufficient and valiant men yet living, and 
whose wounds were not mortal, they might do their 
country and prince acceptable service hereafter. And 
whereas Sir Richard had alleged that the Spaniards 
should never glory to have taken one ship of her 
Majesty, seeing they had so long and so notably 
defended themselves, they answered that the ship had 
six feet water in hold, three shot under water, which 
were so weakly stopped, as with the first working of the 
sea she must needs sink, and was, besides, so crushed 
and bruised, as she could never be removed out of the 
place. 

And as the matter was thus in dispute, and Sir Rich- 
ard refusing to hearken to any of those reasons, the mas- 
ter of the " Revenge " (while the captain won unto him 
the greater party) was conveyed aboard the " General 
Don Alphonso Bac.au " ; who (finding none over hasty to 
enter the " Revenge " again, doubting lest Sir Richard 
would have blown them up and himself, and perceiving, 
by the report of the master of the " Revenge," his dan- 
gerous disposition), yielded that all their lives should be 
saved, the company sent for England, and the better 
sort to pay such reasonable ransom as their estate would 
bear, and in the mean season to be free from galley or 
imprisonment. To this he so much the rather conde- 
scended, as well, as I have said, for fear of further loss 
and mischief to themselves, as also the desire he had to 
recover Sir Richard Grenville ; whom, for his notable 
valor, he seemed greatly to honor and admire. 

When this answer was returned, and that safety of 
life was promised, the common sort being now at the 
end of their peril, the most drew back from Sir Richard 
and the master gunner, being no hard matter. to dis- 



SIR RICHARD G RENVILLE. 105 

suade men from death to life. The master gunner ? 
finding himself and Sir Richard thus prevented and mas 
tered by the greater number, would have slain himself 
with a sword, had he not been by force withheld, and 
locked in his cabin. Then the " General " sent many 
boats aboard the " Revenge " ; and divers of our men, 
fearing Sir Richard's disposition, stole away aboard the 
" General " and other ships. Sir Richard, thus over- 
matched, was sent unto by Alphonso Bacan to remove 
out of the " Revenge," the ship being marvellous un- 
savory, filled with blood, and bodies of dead and 
wounded men, like a slaughter-house. Sir Richard an- 
swered that he might do with his body what he list, for 
he esteemed it not, and as he was carried out of the ship 
he swooned, and revived again, desiring the company to 
pray for him. The general used Sir Richard with all 
humanity, and left nothing unattempted that tended to 
his recovery, highly commending his valor and worthi- 
ness, and greatly bewailing the danger wherein he was, 
being with them a rare spectacle, and a resolution sel- 
dom approved, to see one ship turn towards so many 
enemies, to endure the charge and boarding of so many 
huge armadas, and to resist and repel the entries of so 
many soldiers. All which and more is confirmed by a 
Spanish captain of the same armada, and a present 
actor in the fight, who, being severed from the rest in a 
storm, was, by the " Lion," of London, a small ship, 
taken, and is now prisoner in London. 

The general commander of the armada was Don 
Alphonso Bacan, brother to the Marquis of Santa Cruz. 
The admiral of the Biscaine squadron was Brittandona. 
Of the squadron of Sivil, the Marquis of Arumburch. 
The hulks and fly-boats were commanded by Luis 
Continho. There were slain and drowned in this fight 
well near one thousand of the enemies, and two special 



106 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

commanders,— Don Luis de Saint John, and Don George 
de Prunaria de Mallaga — as the Spanish captain con- 
fesseth, besides divers others of special account, whereof 
as yet report is not made. 

The admiral of the hulks and the "Ascension of 
Sivil " were both sunk by the side of the " Revenge " ; 
one other recovered the road of St. Michael, and sunk 
also there ; a fourth ran herself into the shore to save 
her men. Sir Richard died, as it is said, the second or 
third day aboard the " General," and was by them 
greatly bewailed. What became of his body, whether 
it was buried in the sea or on the land, we know not ; 
the comfort that remaineth to his friends is, that he 
hath ended his life honorably in respect of the reputa- 
tion won to his nation and country, and of the same to 
his posterity, and that, being dead, he hath not outlived 
his own honor. 



VI. 
ALEXANDER SELKIRK. 

ONE of the girls confided to Uncle Fritz, in a half- 
aside, that she had only just now found out that 
Robinson Crusoe was not shipwrecked on the island 
of Juan Fernandez, opposite Chili. 

Uncle Fritz took " Robinson Crusoe " from the mov- 
able shelf by his side. It was one of seven books 
which belonged there. The others were Shakespeare, 
in one volume, Epictetus, a volume of the " Arabian 
Nights," Cruden's " Concordance," the English Bible, 
and the Greek Testament. He read aloud from the 
title-page, " The life and strange, surprising adventures 
of Robinson Crusoe, of York, mariner, who lived twenty- 
eight years all alone in an uninhabited island on the 
coast of America, near the mouth of the great river 
Oroonoque ; having been cast on shore by shipwreck, 
wherein all the men perished but himself. With an 
account how he was at last as strangely delivered by 
pirates. Written by himself." 

" There," said he, " that is the original title-page, 
and should be still the title of every edition of ' Robin- 
son Crusoe ' ; but half the boys and girls of the world, 
not to say the men and women, though they have read 
the book, have not read the title-page. So they all 
suppose he was wrecked where Alexander Selkirk was 



108 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

wrecked, because of a ridiculous passage in all school 
geographies. I could gabble it off once, as fast as the 
wisest of you." He nodded at Fanchon, who fell into 
his joke, and, with the real school-girl twang and manner, 
rattled off, — 

" It is celebrated for having been the solitary resi- 
dence, for four or five years, of Alexander Selkirk, on 
which incident is founded the popular tale of Robinson 
Crusoe." 

" The truth was," said Uncle Fritz, " that to be left 
alone on an island was no such very unique adventure 
then, nor is it now, indeed. The hint was given to 
Defoe, who needed such hints very little, by half a 
dozen adventures of that time. Selkirk — you will find 
a memorandum on the blank page of my " Robinson 
Crusoe" there — was left on the island; here it is, in 
1705, and he stayed there until 1709, four or five years, 
Fanchon, as your accurate geography says. 

" Dear Uncle Fritz," said Fanchon, "if you only knew 
how those two words ' Robinson Crusoe ' lighted up 
that page of the geography. I longed for it for months 
before we came there, and so hoped I might be the girl 
to say it." 

"Yes," said Emma Fortinbr, as "it was like hearing 
the minister, in his sermon say, ' The girl with her doll,' 
instead of saying the ' inherent improbability of a con- 
clusion so irrational.' You waked up at once and 
hoped there would be more like it." 

"Well," said Uncle Fritz, not displeased, though he 
himself holds forth in the Sandemanian Chapel, some- 
times, " I am glad if it has done you any good. Only 
remember that Robinson Crusoe was shipwrecked on an 
island in the mouth of the river Oronoco ; in the old 
editions there is a careful map. Alexander Selkirk was 
left, not shipwrecked, on Juan Fernandez, the other side 



ALEXANDER SELKIRK. IO9 

of South America." Then he bade Tom Rising bring 
him the " Harleian Miscellanies," the fifth volume. He 
said, "You will find a mark at the place " ; and so Tom 
did. And then Tom read, — 

PROVIDENCE DISPLAYED; 

OR, 

A VERY SURPRISING ACCOUNT OF ONE MR. 

ALEXANDER SELKIRK, 

MASTER OF A MERCHANT-MAN CALLED, THE " CINQUE-PORTS '' J 

who dreaming that the Ship would soon after be lost, he 
desired to be left on a desolate Island in the South-Seas, 
where he lived Four Years and Four Months, without see- 
ing the Face of Man, the Ship being afterwards cast away 
as he dreamed. As also, How he came afterwards to be 
miraculously preserved and redeemed from that fatal Place, 
by two Bristol Privateers, called, the " Duke " and 
" Duchess " ; that took the rich Aquapulco Ship, worth 
one-hundred Ton of Gold, and brought it to England. 
To which is added, An Account of his Birth and Education. 
His Description of the Island where he was cast ; how he 
subsisted ; the several strange Things he saw, and how he 
used to spend his Time. With some pious Ejaculations 
that he used, composed during his melancholy Residence 
there. Written by his own Hand, and attested*by most 
of the eminent Merchants upon the Royal-Exchange. 
Quarto, containing twelve Pages. 



" That narrative," said Uncle Fritz, " is what you find 
in the Preface of some copies of ' Robinson Crusoe,' 
though they do not print this edifying introduction." 
But most of the children had not read it, so they passed 
round the book and read, in turn. 

THE NARRATIVE. 

In the voyage of the " Duke " and " Duchess " 
privateers, belonging to Bristol, who took the rich 
"Aquapulco" ship, they came to an island called Juan 



HO STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Fernandez ; where, sending their pinnace on shore, she 
returned, after some time, bringing with her a man 
clothed in goat-skins, who seemed as wild as the goats 
themselves. 

Being brought on board the " Duke," he said, he had 
been on the island four years and four months, having 
been left there by Capt. Stradling, in a ship called the 
" Cinque-Ports," about the year 1705, of which ship he 
was master ; and Capt. Dampier, who was then with 
him, and now on board the " Duke," told Capt. Rogers 
he was the best man then on board the " Cinque-Ports," 
who immediately agreed with him to be a mate on 
board the " Duke." His name was Alexander Selkirk, 
a Scotchman, and the manner of his being found there 
was by his making a fire the night before, when he saw 
the two privateers aforesaid, judging them to be Eng- 
lish, by which, judging it to be an habitable island, 
they had sent their boat to see ; and so he came mi- 
raculously to be redeemed from that solitary and te- 
dious confinement, who otherwise, in all probability, 
must have miserably ended his life there. 

He said that, during his stay there, he had seen sev- 
eral ships pass by, but only two of them came in to an- 
chor, which he judged to be Spaniards, and retired from 
them, upon which they fired at him • had they been 
French, he said, he would have submitted himself, but 
chose rather to hazard dying on the island than to fall 
into the hands of the Spaniards in those parts, because 
he believed they would either murder him, or make him 
a slave in their mine's. 

The Spaniards landed so near him, before he knew 
where they were, that he had much ado to escape ; for 
they not only shot at him, but pursued him into the 
woods, where he climbed up to the top of a tree, at the 
foot of which they made water, and killed several goats 
just by, but went off without discovering him. 



ALEXANDER SELKIRK. Ill 

He told them he was born at Largo, in the county of 
Fife, in Scotland, and was bred a sailor from his youth. 

The reason for his being left on this melancholy 
island was a difference betwixt him and his captain, 
which, together with the ship's being leaky, made him 
willing rather to stay there than to go along with him 
at first, and, when he was at last willing to go, the cap- 
tain would not receive him. He had been, he said, on 
the island to wood and water, when two of the ship's 
company were left upon it for six months, till the ship 
returned, being chased thence by two French South 
Sea ships. 

He had with him his clothes and bedding, with a fire- 
lock, some powder, bullets, and tobacco, a hatchet, a 
knife, a kettle, a Bible, some practical pieces, and his 
mathematical instruments and books. He diverted and 
provided for himself as well as he could, but for the first 
eight months he had much ado to bear up against melan- 
choly and the terror of being left alone in such a deso- 
late place. 

He built two huts with pimento-trees, covered them 
with long grass, and lined them with the skins of goats, 
which he killed with his gun as he wanted, so long as 
his powder lasted, which was but a pound, and, that 
being near spent, he got fire by rubbing two sticks of 
pimento wood together upon his knee. In the lesser 
hut, at some distance from the other, he dressed his 
victuals, and in the larger he slept, and employed him- 
self in reading, singing psalms, and praying, so that 
he said he was a better Christian while in this solitude, 
or than he was afraid he should ever be again. 

At first he never eat anything, till hunger constrained 
him, partly for grief, and partly for want of bread and 
salt ; nor did he go to bed till he could watch no longer; 
the pimento wood, which burnt very clear, served him 



112 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

both for firing and candle, and refreshed him with its 
fragrant smell. 

He might have had fish enough, but could not eat 
them for want of salt, because they occasioned a loose- 
ness, except crawfish, which are there as large as our 
lobsters, and very good ; these he sometimes boiled, and 
at other times broiled, as he did his goat's flesh, of 
which he made very good broth, for they are not so 
rank as ours ; he kept an account of five hundred that 
he killed while there, and caught as many more, which 
he marked on the ear and let go. 

When his powder failed, he took them by speed of 
foot, for his way of living, and continual exercise of 
walking and running, cleared him of all gross humors, 
so that he ran with wonderful swiftness through the 
woods, and up the rocks and hills, as we perceived 
when we employed him to catch goats for us. We had 
a bulldog which we sent with several of our nimblest 
runners, to help him in catching goats, but he distanced 
and tired both the dog and the men, catched the gOats, 
and brought them to us on his back. 

He told us that his agility in pursuing a goat had 
once like to have cost him his life ; he pursued it with 
so much eagerness, that he catched hold of it on the 
brink of a precipice, of which he was not aware, the 
bushes having hid it from him, so that he fell with 
the goat down the precipice a great height, and was so 
stunned and bruised with the fall that he narrowly 
escaped with his life, and, when he came to his senses, 
found the goat dead under him. He lay there about 
twenty-four hours, and was scarce able to crawl to his 
hut, which was about a mile distant, or to stir abroad 
again in ten days. 

He came, at last, to relish his meat well enough with- 
out salt or bread, and, in the season, had plenty of 



ALEXANDER SELKIRK. II 3 

goodturn ips, which had been sowed there by Capt. 
Dampier's men, and have now overspread some acres 
of ground. He had enough of good cabbage from the 
cabbage-trees, and seasoned his meat with the fruit of 
the pimento-trees, which is the same as the Jamaica 
pepper, and smells deliciously. He found there also a 
black pepper, called Malagita, which was very good to 
expel wind, and against griping of the guts. 

He soon wore out all his shoes and clothes by run- 
ning through the woods, and at last, being forced to 
shift without them, his feet became so hard that he ran 
everywhere without annoyance, and it was some time 
before he could wear shoes, after we found him, for, 
not being used to any so. long, his feet swelled when he 
came first to wear them again 

After he had conquered his melancholy, he diverted 
himself, sometimes, by cutting his name on the trees, 
and the time of his being left, and continuance there. 
He was at first pestered with cats and rats, that had 
bred in great numbers from some of each species which 
had got ashore from the ships that put in there to wood 
and water. The rats gnawed bis feet and clothes, while 
asleep, which obliged him to cherish the cats with his 
goat's flesh ; by which many of them became so tame 
that they would lie about him in hundreds, and soon 
delivered him from the rats. He likewise tamed some 
kids, and, to divert himself, would now and then sing 
and dance with his cats ; so that by the care of Prov- 
idence, and vigor of his youth, being now but about 
thirty years old, he came, at last, to conquer all the in- 
conveniences of his solitude, and to be very easy. 

When his clothes wore out, he made himself a coat 
and cap of goat-skins, which he stitched together with 
little thongs of the same, that he cut with his knife. 
He had no other needle but a nail, and, when his knife 



114 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

was worn to the back, he made others, as well as he 1 
could, of some iron hoops that were left ashore, which \ 
he beat thin and ground upon stones. Having some , 
linen cloth by him, he sewed himself shirts with a nail, i 
and stitched them with the worsted of his old stockings, 
which he pulled out on purpose. He had his last shirt { 
on when we found him on the island. 

At his first coming on board us, he had so much for- ji 
got his language, for want of use, that we could scarce 
understand him, for he seemed to speak his words by 
halves. We offered him a dram, but he would not \ 
touch it, having drank nothing but water since his be 
ing there, and it was some time before he could relish \ 
our victuals. 

He could give us an account of no other product of j 
the island than what we have mentioned, except tsmall 
black plums, which are very good, but hard to come at, 
the trees which bear them growing on high mountains 
and rocks. Pimento-trees are plenty here, and we saw 
one sixty feet high, and about two yards thick ; and j 
cotton-trees higher, and near four fathom round in the I 
stock. 

The climate is so good, that the trees and grass are i 
verdant all the year. The winter lasts no longer than ! 
June or July, and is not then severe, there being only i 
a small frost and a little hail, but sometimes great j 
rains. The heat of the summer is equally moderate, | 
and there is not much thunder or tempestuous weather l 
of any sort. He saw no venomous or savage creature 
on the island, nor any other sort of beast but goats, 
etc., as above mentioned, the first of which had been 
put ashore here on purpose for a breed, by Juan Fer- 
nando, a Spaniard, who settled there with some fam- 
ilies for a time, till the continent of Chili began to sub- 
mit to the Spaniards ; which, being more profitable, 



ALEXANDER SELKIRK. 1 15 

tempted them to quit this island, which is capable of 
maintaining a good number of people, and of being 
made so strong that they could not be easily dislodged. 

Kingrose, in his account of Capt. Sharp's voyage, and 
other buccaneers, mentions one who had escaped ashore 
here, out of a ship which was cast away with all the rest 
of his company, and says he lived five years alone, be- 
fore he had the opportunity of another ship to carry 
him off. Capt. Dampier talks of a Moskito Indian, 
that belonged to Capt. Watlin, who, being hunting in 
the woods, when the captain left the island, lived there 
three years alone, and shifted much in the same man- 
ner as Mr. Selkirk did, till Capt. Dampier came hither, 
in 1684, and carried him off. The first that went 
ashore was one of his countrymen, and they saluted 
one another, first by prostrating themselves by turns on 
the ground, and then by embracing. 

But, whatever there is in these stories, this of Mr. 
Selkirk I know to be true, and his behavior afterwards 
gives me reason to believe the account he gave me, how 
he spent his time, and bore up under such an affliction, 
in which nothing but the Divine Providence could have 
supported any man. By this one may see that solitude 
and retirement from the world is not such an unsuffer- 
able state of life as most men imagine, especially when 
people are fairly thrown into it unavoidably, as this man 
was, who, in all probability, must otherwise have per- 
ished in the seas, the ship which left him being cast 
away not long after, and few of the company escaped. 

We may perceive, by this story, the truth of the 
maxim, that " Necessity is the mother of invention," 
since he found means to supply his wants in a very 
natural manner, so as to maintain his life, though not 
so conveniently, yet as effectually, as we are able to do 
with the help of all our arts and society. It may like- 



Il6 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

wise instruct us how much a plain and temperate way 
of living conduces to the health of the body and the 
vigor of the mind, both which we are apt to destroy by 
excess and plenty, especially of strong liquor, and the 
variety, as well as the nature of our meat and drink ; for 
this man, when he came to our ordinary method of diet 
and life, though he was sober enough, lost much of his 
strength and agility. 

"It is very curious," said Horace Feltham, "and 
very interesting, but it is not much like ' Robinson 
Crusoe ' " 

"I like to hear you say that," said Uncle Fritz. 
" There have been so many ' Robinson Crusoes ' 
written, and they have done so many things, that a boy 
is to be excused now if he cannot pass an examination 
on them. But, to tell the truth, some grown-up- boys 
have blundered." Then he sent for the " Curiosities of 
Literature." # 

" Here is a book," said he, " which I shall leave out 
on the table, because I should like to have you all fond 
of it. It is a sort of a scrap-book, made by the father 
of Lord Beaconsneld, whose life you have read in " Jus- 
tin McCarthy," and in "Punch's Cartoons." Sybil, 
dear, will you read what Isaac DTsraeli writes of Alex- 
ander Selkirk ? He had the passage already marked. 
And Sybil read, — 

" In this artless narrative we may discover more than 
the embryo of Robinson Crusoe. The first appearance 
of Selkirk ' a man clothed in goat skins, who looked 
more wild than the first owners of them.' The two 
huts he had built, the one to dress his victuals, the 

* " Curiosities of Literature." First and Second Series. By I. 
D'Israeli, Esq., D. C. L., F. S. A. 



ALEXANDER SELKIRK. IT7 

other to sleep in ; his contrivance to get fire by rubbing 
two pieces of pimento wood together • his distress for 
the want of bread and salt, till he came to relish his 
meat without either • his wearing out his shoes, till he 
grew so accustomed to be without them that he could 
not for a long time afterwards, on his return home, use 
them without inconvenience ; his bedstead of his own 
contriving, and his bed of goat-skins ; when his gun- 
powder failed, his teaching himself, by continual exer- 
cise, to run as swiftly as the goats ; his falling from a 
precipice in catching hold of a goat, stunned and 
bruised, till, coming to his senses, he found the goat 
dead under him ; his taming kids to divert himself by 
dancing with them and his cats ; his converting a nail 
into a needle, his sewing his goat-skins with little thongs 
of the same, and, when his knife was worn to the back, 
contriving to make blades out of some iron hoops." 

While Sybil read this aloud, the eyes of two or three 
of the boys fairly snapped with surprise and indigna- 
tion. They would not interrupt. They were far too 
well-bred for that. But, when Sybil had finished, there 
was a general outcry. 

u Robinson Crusoe never danced in his life." 
"Robinson Crusoe never had any trouble about 
bread." 

" He never fell off a cliff and was stunned." 
" He never had any trouble about fire. He never 
rubbed two pieces of pimento wood together." 
" He never wore his knife to the back." 
" No," said Uncle Fritz, almost sadly, " if Mr. DTs- 
raeli meant that he did, it is one of the melancholy 
cases of a literary man's forgetfulness. In short, given 
the two facts that Selkirk was on an island alone, and 
that Crusoe was on an island alone, nothing can well 
be more unlike, from beginning to end, than the stories 



Il8 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

of Selkirk and of Robinson Crusoe. Probably Mr. 
D'Israeli was not so familiar with dear Robinson Cru- 
soe as you and I are." 

One of the boys said that his uncle had landed at 
Juan Fernandez, and that they still show a cave there 
which is called Selkirk's Cave. It is a convenient point 
to touch at for water, and at one time the Chilian gov- 
ernment had a penal settlement there. This set them 
to looking for pictures of the island, and Col. Ingham 
gave them some more references. The reader will see 
what they made of them in the next chapter. 



VII. 

THE BUCCANEERS. 

r PHE young people had been referred to Capt. James 
JL Burney's " History of Discovery in the South Sea," 
which is a book in five handsome quarto volumes. 
They had found more than one copy of this. Stephen 
had had the good luck to make a visit to Providence, 
and there one of his friends introduced him to Mr. 
Bartlett, who kindly took him to the John Carter Brown 
Library, which is one of the most valuable, as it is one 
of the most beautiful private libraries in the world. 
Stephen had a chance to see there the very rare origi- 
nals of the quaint old tracts which describe the pro- 
ceedings of those worthies, the buccaneers. 

Sir Francis Drake, who relieved Lane's colony in 
North Carolina, and helped in fighting the armada, as 
you know, had led the way for the English into the 
Pacific, or, as men then said, the South Sea. From that 
time till near the end of the seventeenth century, that 
is, for more than a hundred years, whatever was the 
state of Europe, there was always war on the South 
Sea. It was anything but a Pacific ocean. When the 
young people were talking about it, Theodora repeated 
from Scott's Rokeby : — 

" Panama's maids shall long grow pale, 
When Risingham inspires the tale ; 
Chili's dark matrons long shall tame 
The froward child with Bertram's name."* 

* Rokeby, Canto VI., 21. 



120 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Besides Burney's book they had prowled through 
Esquemeling's " History of the Bucaniers," more edify- 
ing, as Walter declared, than " The Pirate's Own Book " 
itself. From these different treasures Stephen had 
copied out some passages from Master Edward Ring- 
rose's narrative, mostly because they renewed the story 
of Alexander Selkirk. 

FROM EDWARD RINGROSE'S NARRATIVE OF 
SHARP'S VOYAGE. 

they find capt. The next morning, being early as we 

had left. ' came under the aforesaid Isle of Plate, 
and here unexpectedly, to our great joy, we found at 
anchor the ship of Capt. Cox, with his whole company, 
whom we had lost at sea for the space of a whole fort- 
night before. 

We found they had reached this island, and had been 
there at anchor four days before us, being now just 
ready to depart from thence. About seven we came to 
an anchor, and then the other vessel sent us a live tor- 
toise and a goat to feast upon to-day, telling us, withal, 
of great tortoises to be found ashore upon the bay, and 
of much fish to be caught thereabouts. 

The island received its name from Sir Francis Drake 
and his famous actions. For here it is reported, by tra- 
dition, that he made the dividend or sharing of the vast 
quantity of plate which he took in the armada of this 
sea, distributing it to each man of his company by whole 
bowls full. The Spaniards affirm, until this day, he took 
at this time twelvescore tons of plate, — sixteen bowls 
of coined money to each man, his number being then 
forty-five men in all. Hence this island was called by 
the Spaniards themselves the Isle of Plate, for this 
great dividend, and by us, Drake's Isle. . . . 

Here our prisoners told us, likewise, that in the time 



THE BUCCANEERS. 121 

of Oliver Cromwell, or the Commonwealth of England, 
a certain ship was fitted out from Lima, with seventy 
brass guns, having on board of her no less than thirty 
millions of dollars, or pieces of eight ; all which vast 
sum of money was given by the merchants of Lima in 
sense, as a present unto our gracious king, or rather his 
father, to suppy him in his exile and distress ; but that 
this great and rich ship was lost by keeping the shore 
along in the Bay of Mante, or thereabouts. What truth 
there may be in this history, I cannot tell. At least it 
seemeth to me as scarcely deserving any credit. 

"There," said Col. Ingham, " if you want to dredge for 
imaginary treasures, boys, there is your chance. Only 
I would consider, first, what likelihood you think there 
s that the merchants of Lima should pass round a hat, 
and contribute thirty millions of dollars for the relief 
of Charles the First. I am afraid they would not have 
done it for Queen Elizabeth." 

The next extract described a buccaneer's battle. 

AN ACTION. 

As soon as we had tacked we happened to espy a sail 
north-northeast from us. Hereupon we instantly cast 
off from the other vessel which w r e had in tow, and stood 
round about after them. We came very near the ves- 
sel before they saw us, by reason of the darkness of the 
night. As soon as they espied us they immediately 
clapped on a wind and sailed very well before us, inso- 
much that it was a pretty while before we could come up 
with them, and within sail. We hailed them in Spanish, 
by means of an Indian prisoner, and commanded them 
to lower their topsails. They answered they would 
soon make us lower our own. Hereupon we fired sev- 
eral guns at them, and they as thick at us, with their 



122 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

arquebuses ; thus they fought us for the space of half 
an hour or more, and would have done so longer had 
we not killed the man at the helm, after whom none of 
the rest dared be so hardy as to take his place. With 
another of our shot we cut and disabled the maintop 
halyards. Hereupon they cried out for quarter, which 
we gave them, and entered their ship. Having entered 
the ship we found in her five-and-thirty men, of whom 
four-and-twenty were natives of old Spain. They had not 
fought us, as they declared afterwards, but only out of a 
bravado, having promised ashore so to do in case they 
met us at sea. 

The captain of this vessel was a person of quality, 
and his brother, since the death of Don Jacinto de Ba- 
rahma, killed by us in the engagement before Panama, 
was now the head admiral of the armada, and with him 
he took also in this vessel five or six other persons of 
quality. They did us, in this fight, by their shot, very 
great damage in our rigging, by cutting it to pieces. 
Besides which they wounded two of our men, and the 
third man was wounded by the negligence of one of our 
own men, occasioned by a pistol which went off unad- 
visedly. 

The next day being August 26th, in the morning 
we stood south. That day we counted out all our 
plate (silver), and found it amounted to 3,276 pieces of 
eight,* which was accordingly divided by shares among 
us. We also punished a friar, who was chaplain to the 
bark aforesaid, and shot him upon the deck, casting 
him overboard before he was dead. Such cruelties, 
though I abhorred very much in my heart, yet here I 
was forced to hold my tongue, and contradict them not, 
as having not authority to oversway them. 

* Dollars, each of which is eight reals. 



THE BUCCANEERS. 1 23 

'•And here, Uncle Fritz, they come to Juan Fernandez, 
and there is a lovely picture. There are pictures of all 
the islands." 

Friday, Dec. 24. — This morning we could descry 
the island itself of Juan Fernandez, south by east, it 
being at sixteen leagues' distance when we saw it 
yesterday. . . . 

Here, therefore, are two islands together, the biggest 
whereof is three leagues and a half in length, nearest 
northwest and southeast ; the other and lesser is almost 
one league and no more in circumference. 

On the 28th, in the morning I went on shore with ten 
men of our company and two canoes, to fetch water 
from the land. Being come there, and having filled our 
jars, we could not get back to the ship, by reason of the 
easterly wind that blew from off the ocean, and hindered 
our returning. . . . This being done, we ventured out 
again both canoes together, but the winds were yet so 
high that we were forced to throw all our jars of water 
overboard to lighten our boats, otherwise we had inev- 
itably perished. We ought to bless and praise God 
Almighty for this deliverance, for in all human reason 
the least wave of that tempest must have sunk us. . . . 
Hereupon, not knowing what to do, we went ashore and 
hauled up our canoes dry. Having done this we 
ascended higher into the island along a gully, for the 
space of half a mile, there to clear ourselves from the 
noise and company of the seals, which were very trouble- 
some near the shore. Here we kindled a fire and dried 
our clothes, and rested ourselves all night, though with 
extreme hungry bellies, as having eaten very little or 
nothing all the day before. On many sides of the hill 
under which we lay, we observed many holes, like coney 
holes. These holes are the roosting-places of multi* 



124 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

tudes of birds that breed in these islands, called by the 
Spaniards pardelas. One of these birds, as we lay drying 
and warming ourselves, fell down into the fire. . . . 

The next day there came a canoe from on board the 
ship with provisions for us, they fearing lest we should 
be starved. In like manner the launch came with men 
to cut wood. Night being come, we made our bed with 
fern, of which there is large plenty in this island, 
together with great multitude of trees, like unto our 
English box, the which bear a species of green berries, 
smelling like unto pimento or pepper. . . . 

On the 3d of January we had terrible gusts of wind 
from the shore every hour. This day our pilot told us 
that many years ago a certain ship was cast away upon 
this island, and only one man was saved, who lived 
alone upon the island five years before any ship came 
this way to carry him off. The island has excellent 
land in many valleys belonging thereunto. . . . 

On Thursday, Jan. 6, our dissensions being now 
grown unto a great height, the mutineers made a new 
election of another person to be our chief captain and 
commander. 

[They deposed Capt. Sharp, whom they protested they 
would obey no longer. They chose, therefore, one of 
our company, whose name was John Watling, to 
command in chief, he having been an old privateer 
and gained the esteem of being a stout seaman. The 
election being made, all the rest were pressed to give 
their consent to it, and Capt. Sharp gave over his com- 
mand, whereupon they mutually made articles with Wat- 
ling and signed them.] 

The following day, being the 7th, we turned and 
followed the starboard side of the ship In this bay, 
where we now anchored, we found a cross cut in the 
bark of the tree, and several letters beside. Hereupon, 



THE BUCCANEERS. 1 25 

on another tree up the gully, I engraved the two first 
letters of my name with a cross over them. 

Sunday, Jan. 9. — This day was the first Sunday 
that ever we kept since the loss and death of our val- 
iant commander, Capt. Hawkins. This generous-spir- 
ited man threw the dice overboard, finding them in use 
on the said day. 

Wednesday, Jan. 12. — This morning our canoes 
returned trom catching of goats, firing of guns as they 
came towards us to give us warning. Being come on 
board they tell us they had spied three sail of ship, 
which they conceived were men-of-war, coming about 
the island. Hereupon we immediately slip our cable 
and put to sea, taking all our men that were ashore at 
the time. Only one William, a Mosquito Indian, was 
then left behind on the island, because he could not 
be found at our sudden departure. ... 

The following day we could describe one of the fore- 
mentioned men-of-war under the leeward side of the 
island, and we believed that the rest were at an anchor 
thereabout. At ten we stood on towards the island, 
making as if we intended to be one with them, but in 
the afternoon our commander propounded the question 
unto us whether we were willing, now that the fleet was 
to windward, to bear away from them. Unto this we 
all agreed with one consent. And hereupon, night 
being come, we stood away northeast by north, thus 
giving them handsomely the slip, after having outbraved 
them this day and the day before. 

" We turned over the book," said Horace's friend, 
"and we had no time to copy more. But you will like 
to know what became of those precious rascals." 



126 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 



END OF SHARP'S VOYAGE. 

We came about the south of Antego (Antigua) and 
sent a canoe on shore for to get tobacco and other ne- 
cessaries that we wanted, and also to ask leave of the 
governor to come into the port. The gentry of the 
place and the common people were very desirous to 
receive us, but on Wednesday, the ist of February, the 
governor denied us entry, at which all the gentry were 
very much grieved, and showed themselves very kind to 
us. Hereupon we agreed among ourselves to give away 
and leave the ship to them of our company who had 
no money left them of all their portions in this voyage, 
having lost it all at play, and then to divide ourselves 
into two ships which were now bound for England. 
Thus I, myself, and thirteen more of our company went 
on board Capt. Robert Porteen his ship called the 
"Lisbon Merchant," and setting sail from La Antigua, 
on Feb. u, landed in Dartmouth, in England, March 
26, 1682. 

Col. Ingham looked at the queer little outlines of 
the island of Juan Fernandez with great interest. He 
then sent one of the boys for " Hawksworth's Voy- 
ages," and after a little hunting they found Carteret's 
picture, taken from the same anchorage a hundred years 
after. 

Cartwrite says (1767), " As I did not know the 
Spaniards had fortified this island, I was greatly sur- 
prised to see a considerable number of men upon the 
beach, with a house and four pieces of cannon near the 
water-side, and a fort about three hundred yards above." 

"That speaks well," said he, "for the accuracy of 
both the draughtsmen. You may be sure neither of 
them ever saw the work of the other." 



VIII. 
PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 

I^MMA FORTINBRAS was more apt to make good, 
^ genuine blunders than anybody else in our little 
party. All the more, perhaps, the colonel made her a 
little of a pet. But she had that wretched, gushing way, 
which he never could quite break her of, of sitting on a 
footstool, and trying to take one of his hands, and look- 
ing up in his face, which some very foolish girls had 
taught her, and asking questions which she thought 
would please him. 

" Uncle Fritz," she said, one evening, " did you know 
Paul Jones ? Will you tell us about Paul Jones ? " 

" Oh, that is too bad ! " said Uncle Fritz, and the oth- 
ers tried hard not to scream. " That is worse than the 
young lawyer who asked Mr. Field if he knew Alexan- 
der Pope." 

Poor Emma is used to plunging into waters too deep 
for her and too hot for her. She blushes very red, but 
she does not retreat gracefully, and she said she was 
sure it said, in Col. Ingham's life, that he fought with 
Paul Jones. As for dates, they all knew she was not 
good at them. 

Will Withers pretended to take her side. " Yes," 
said he, " it says Uncle Fritz was a midshipman, and 
that Paul Jones's legs were shot off, and all the other 
officers were killed ; and Uncle Fritz was the only sur- 



128 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

vivor on their side, and that he received all the English- 
men's swords, — forty-three swords in all." 

But Uncle Fritz would not let them laugh. " No, Will, 
no ! " said he, " remember there is no joke when it is 
not true." Then he turned to Emma, whom he wanted 
to get out of her scrape, and said : '* What you remem- 
ber is in the 'Ingham Papers,' but not in my life. It 
is my account of the battle, as I made it out from my 
grandfather's papers.* But Paul Jones had been dead 
twenty years when I was born. I am glad you asked 
about him. It is lime for you all to read about later 
times than the buccaneers. Ah me ! there were plenty 
of people in Paul Jones's time who counted him as bad 
as any of them. But this was because the ox was 
gored this time, and not the bull." 

" What do you mean, uncle ? " 

" I mean that England did not grieve so much at the 
wickedness of spoiling Spaniards in the Pacific, as she 
grieved at Paul Jones's wickedness when he landed on 
the coast of Scotland and carried off the plate of the 
Earl of Selkirk. Observe Selkirk again. And, by the 
way, when the pieces were sold, Jones bought that 
plate, and sent it as his own present back to Lady 
Selkirk. Queer it is ! I noticed in Charles Reade's 
novel of ' Foul Play,' that when on a desert island they 
found a box of jewels which belonged to a Spanish 
viceroy, they kept the jewels for themselves, because 
they found them in the Pacific. If they had found 
them in Plyde Park, they would have exhausted diplo- 
macy till they found the rightful heirs. 

" But let us go back to Jones. It is worth your while 
to read both accounts of the ' Poor Richard's ' fight 
with the ' Serapis.' The ' Poor Richard ' was his ship, 

* Paul Jones and Denis Duval, p. 20, " Ingham Papers." 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 1 29 

the ' Serapis ' was the English ship. Both these ac- 
counts were written by men who meant to tell the truth. 
Compare them with each other, and you will see how 
hard it is to read history. Then you may read my 
account of that fight in the ' Ingham Papers.' Mr. 
Thackeray would have written it for us, had he lived 
longer. It is just there that his novel of ' Denis Duval ' 
breaks off." 

So the colonel sent for the " Annual Register for 
1779," and for Miss Taylor's " Life of Paul Jones." Bob 
Edmeston read " Jones's Despatch." 

PAUL JONES'S NARRATIVE OF HIS FIGHT WITH 
THE "SERAPIS." 

On the 21st we saw and chased two sail off Flam- 
borough Head ; the '" Pallas " chased in the northeast 
quarter, while the " Bon Homme Richard," followed by 
the " Vengeance," chased in the southwest ; the one I 
chased, a brigantine collier in ballast, belonging to 
Scarborough, was soon taken, and sunk immediately 
afterwards, as a fleet then appeared to the southward. 
This was so late in the day, that I could not come up 
with the fleet before night ; at length, however, I got so 
near one of them as to force her to run ashore between 
Flamborough Head and the Spurn. Soon after I took 
another, a brigantine from Holland, belonging to Sun- 
derland, and at daylight the next morning, seeing a fleet 
steering towards me from the Spurn, I imagined them 
to be a convoy bound from London for Leith, which 
had been for some time expected. One of them had a 
pendant hoisted, and appeared to be a ship of force. 
They had not, however, courage to come on, but kept 
back, all except the one which seemed to be armed, and 
that one also kept to the windward, very near to the 
land, and on the edge of dangerous shoals, where I could 
9 



13° STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

not with safety approach. This induced me to make a 
signal for a pilot, and soon afterwards two pilots' boats 
came off. They informed me that a ship that wore a 
pendant was an armed merchantman, and that a king's 
frigate lay there in sight, at anchor, within the Humber 
waiting to take under convoy a number of merchant 
ships bound to the northward. The pilots imagined 
the " Bon Homme Richard " to be an English ship of 
war, and consequently communicated to me the private 
signal which they had been required to make. I endeav- 
ored by this means to decoy the ships out of the port, 
but the wind then changing, and with the tide becoming 
unfavorable for them, the deception had not the desired 
effect, and they wisely put back. The entrance of the 
Humber is exceedingly difficult and dangerous, and as 
the k ' Pallas" was not in sight, I thought it imprudent 
to remain off the entrance, therefore steered out again 
to join the "Pallas" off Flamborough Head. In the 
night we saw and chased two ships until three o'clock 
in the morning, when, being at a very small distance 
from them, I made the private signal of reconnoissance, 
which I had given to each captain before I sailed from 
Groix ; one half of the answer only was returned. In 
this position both sides lay to till daylight, when the 
ships proved to be the " Alliance " and the " Pallas." 
On the morning of that day, the 23d, the brig from 
Holland not being in sight, we chased a brigantine that 
appeared laying to, to windward About noon, we saw 
and chased a large ship that appeared coming round 
Flamborough Head, from the northward, and at the 
same time I manned and armed one of the pilot-boats 
to send in pursuit of the brigantine, which now appeared 
to be the vessel that I had forced ashore. Soon after 
this a fleet of forty-one sail appeared off Flamborough 
Head, bearing north-northeast. This induced me to 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON 13 l 

abandon the single ship which had then anchored in 
Burlington Bay ; I also called back the pilot-boat, and 
hoisted a signal for a general chase.* When the fleet 
discovered us bearing down, all the merchant ships 
crowded sail toward the shore. The two ships of war 
that protected the fleet at the same time steered from 
the land, and made the disposition for battle. In 
approaching the enemy, I crowded every possible sail, 
and made the signal for the line of battle, to which the 
" Alliance " showed no attention. Earnest as I was for 
the action, I could not reach the commodore's ship 
until seven in the evening,! being then within pistol- 

* This pilot-boat contained sixteen of the best hands on board 
the "Bon Homme Richard," well armed, under the command of 
Mr. Henry Lunt, the second lieutenant. She did not pay ready 
attention to signals, which obliged Jones to remain to windward 
some time after he had made the signals to chase the fleet. When 
the " Serapis " and "Countess of Scarborough" stood from the 
shore, Jones crowded all sail to overtake them, leaving the " Ven- 
geance " to windward, with orders to bring down the pilot-boat as 
fast as possible, and tell Lieut. Lunt to board the " Bon Homme 
Richard," and enter the men on the left side, after the battle was 
ended. So that with the men lost on the coast of Ireland, and sent 
away in the prizes, Jones was weakly manned, and thinly officered. 
— Journal for the King. 

Lieut. Lunt says in his certificate that he could not approach the 
" Bon Homme Richard " until the action was raging, when, it being 
night, he did not think it prudent to go alongside. 

t As soon as it was night, the enemy tacked, and steered with 
full sail towards the shore. Capt. Jones, seeing this motion by 
the help of his night glass (for the moon was not yet risen), made 
the necessary disposition, and altered his course to get between the 
enemy and the land. The captain of the " Pallas " seeing the 
* Bon Homme Richard " alter her course, concluded that the crew 
had revolted, and killed Capt. Jones. This idea had long prevailed 
in the squadron, and the " Pallas," in consequence, hauled close by 
the wind. Capt. Jones found the " Alliance " lying-to, out of can- 
non shot, on the enemy's weather quarter. The enemy, having 
every sail set, would have escaped and got under Scarborough 



132 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

shot, when he hailed the " Bon Homme Richard." We 
answered him by firing a whole broadside. 

The battle being thus begun was continued with unre- 
mitting fury. Every method was practised on both sides 
to gain an advantage, and rake each other ; and I must 
confess that the enemy's ship, being much more man- 
ageable than the " Bon Homme Richard," gained there- 
by several times an advantageous situation, in spite of 
my best endeavors to prevent it. As I had to deal with 
an enemy of greatly superior force, I was under the 
necessity of closing with him, to prevent the advantage 
which he had over me in point of manoeuvre. It was 
my intention to lay the "Bon Homme Richard" athwart 
the enemy's bow ; but as that operation required great 
dexterity in the management of both sails and helm, and 
some of our braces being shot away, it did not exactly 
succeed to my wish. The enemy's bowsprit, however, 
came over the " Bon Homme Richard's " poop by the 
mizzen-mast, and I made both ships fast together in 
that situation,* which, by the action of the wind on 
the enemy's sails, f forced her stern close to the " Bon 
Homme Richard's " bow, so that the ships lay square 
alongside of each other, the yards being all entangled, 
and the cannon of each ship touching the opponent's. $ 

Castle, had not Capt. Jones crossed the bow of the " Serapis " and 
begun the action within pistol-shot. — Journal for the King 

* Mr. Stacy, the acitng master, not having returned with the 
hawser, Capt Jones, with his own hands, made fast to the mizzen- 
mast of the " Bon Homme Richard " the ropes that hung from the 
enemy's bowsprit. — Journal for the King. 

t The captain of the " Serapis," imputing the position of the 
two ships to accident, let fall an anchor from the larboard bow, 
fearing that Capt. Jones would rake him, and expecting to get dis- 
entangled, and thereby recover his superiority. — lb. See also 
Lieut. Dale's account. 

% Here the enemy attempted to board the " Eon Homme Rich- 
ard," but were deterred from it, on finding Capt. Jones with a 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 133 

When this position took place, it was eight o'clock, 
previous to which the " Bon Homme Richard " had 
received sundry eighteen-pound shots below the water, 
and leaked very much. My battery of twelve-pounders, 
on which I had placed my chief dependence, being 
commanded by Lieut. Dale and Col. Weibert, and 
manned principally with American seamen and French 
volunteers, was entirely silenced and abandoned. As 
to the six old eighteen-pounders that formed the battery 
of the lower gun-deck, they did no service whatever, 
except firing eight shot in all. Two out of three of 
them burst at the first fire, and killed almost all the 
men who were stationed to manage them. Before this 
time, too, Col. de Chamillard, who commanded a party 
of twenty soldiers on the poop, had abandoned that 
station after having lost some of his men. I had now 
only two pieces of cannon (nine-pounders) on the quar- 
ter-deck that were not silenced, and not one of the 
heavier cannon was fired during the rest of the action. 
The purser, M. Mease, who commanded the guns on 
the quarter-deck, being dangerously wounded in the 
head, I was obliged to fill his place, and with great dif- 
ficulty rallied a few men, and shifted over one of the lee 
quarter-deck guns, so that we afterwards played three 
pieces of nine-pounders upon the enemy. The tops 

pike in his hand at the gangway, ready to receive them. They im- 
agined he had, as they said, a large corps de reserve, which was a 
fortunate mistake, as no man took up a pike but himself. — Jour- 
nal for the King. 

Capt. Pearson speaks, in his official account, of an attempt to 
board, at a later period of the action, after the carpenter had 
called for quarter. The boarders returned, saying they had dis- 
covered a superior number laying under cover, with pikes in their 
hands ready to receive them. Probably both commanders refer to 
the same incident, and the concealed men were the imaginary corps 
de reserve. 



134 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

alone seconded the fire of this little battery, and held 
out bravely during the whole of the action, especially 
the maintop, where Lieut. Stack commanded. I directed 
the fire of one of the three cannon against the main- 
mast, with double-headed shot, while the other two 
were exceedingly well served with grape and canister 
shot, to silence the enemy's musketry and clear her 
decks, which was at last effected. The enemy were, as 
I have since understood, on the instant of calling for 
quarter, when the cowardice or treachery of three of 
my under officers induced them to call to the enemy. 
The English commodore asked me if I demanded quar- 
ter, and I having answered him in the most determined 
negative, they renewed the battle -with double fury. 
They were unable to stand the deck, but the fire of 
their cannon, especially the lower battery, which was 
entirely formed of ten-pounders, was incessant ; both 
ships were set on fire in various places, and the scene 
was dreadful beyond the reach of language. To ac- 
count for the timidity of my three under officers, I 
mean the gunner, the carpenter, and the master-at-arms, 
I must observe that the two first were slightly wounded, 
and, as the ship had received various shot under water, 
and one of the pumps being shot away, the carpenter 
expressed his fears that she would sink, and the other 
two concluded that she was sinking, which occasioned 
the gunner to run aft on the poop, without my knowl- 
edge, to strike the colors. Fortunately for me, a can- 
non-ball had done that before, by carrying away the 
ensign-staff; he was therefore reduced to the necessity 
of sinking, as he supposed, or of calling for quarter, 
and he preferred the latter. 

All this time the " Bon Homme Richard " had sustained 
the action alone, and the enemy, though much superior 
in force, would have been very glad to have got clear, 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 135 

as appears by their own acknowledgments, and by their 
having let go an anchor the instant that I laid them on 
board, by which means they would have escaped, had 
I not made them well fast to the "Bon Homme 
Richard." 

At last, at half past nine o'clock, the "Alliance" ap- 
peared, and I now thought the battle at an end; but, 
to my utter astonishment, he discharged a broadside full, 
into the stern of the "Bon Homme Richard."* We 

* In the Journal for the King, it is said that when the " Alliance " 
appeared for the first time, after the beginning of the action, she 
fired a broadside with grape-shot " into the bow of the ' Bon Homme 
Richard,' and the stern of the ' Serapis,' which then made but one 
small object." Jones alludes in the text to her second appearance, 
when, after Landais had paid a 1 visit to Captain Cottineau, who 
had captured the " Pallas," at the urgent request of the latter, that 
he would either go to assist the " Bon Homme Richard " or 
remain to take care of the prize, he " got into a position to rake 
with a second broadside the 'Bon Homme Richard' and ' Serapis,' 
the first in the stern, the other in the bow." It was then they cried 
out to him for God's sake to stop, etc. " Jones begged Landais to 
cease firing, or to lay the 'Bon Homme Richard' alongside, and 
assist with some men from the ' Alliance.' He disobeyed. Hav- 
ing passed along the off side of the ' Bon Homme Richard,' he 
was again absent for some time, and then returned, in a position 
to rake her the third time. He discharged this last broadside 
into the stern of the ' Serapis,' and head of the ' Bon Homme 
Richard.'" — Journal for the King. 

Captain Pearson speaks in general terms of the " Alliance " 
sailing round, during the whole action, and raking him fore and 
aft, and eventually determining him to strike, by coming across his 
stern and pouring in a broadside. The weight of evidence is, that 
the "Alliance" fired only three broadsides altogether within gun- 
shot. The charges against Landais, from thirteen to twenty-one 
inclusive, well attested by all the officers on board the "Bon 
Homme Richard," and corroborated by the captains of the " Pal- 
las" and "Vengeance," and by Lieutenant Lunt, who was in the 
pilot-boat, confirm the above statement. The eighteenth states 
that "he never passed on the off side of the 'Serapis,' nor could 
that ship bring a gun to bear on the * Alliance ' at any time dur- 



136 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

called to him for God's sake to forbear firing into the 
"Bon Homme Richard," yet they passed along the off 
side of the ship and continued firing. There was no pos- 
sibility of his mistaking the enemy's ship for the " Bon 
Homme Richard," there being the most essential differ- 
ence in their appearance and construction. Besides, it 
was then full moonlight, and the sides of the "Bon 
Homme Richard " were all black, while the sides of the 
prize were all yellow. Yet, for the greater security, I 
showed the signal of our reconnoissance by putting out 
three lanterns, one at the head, another at the stern, 
and the third in the middle, in a horizontal line. Every 
tongue cried that he was firing into the "Bon Homme 
Richard's" head, stern, and broadside, and by one of 
his volleys killed several of my best men * and mortally 
wounded a good officer on the forecastle only, f My 
situation was really ^deplorable. The "Bon Homme 
Richard " received various shot under water from the 

ing the engagement." Captain Pearson only speaks of being 
" raked," and having a broadside poured into his stern. The shot 
received by the " Bon Homme Richard " on the off side must have 
come from the " Alliance." The fact of the " Alliance " firing into 
the " Bon Homme Richard " is also attested by the old log-book 
of the " Bon Homme Richard," in the possession of Mr. George 
Napier, advocate, in Edinburgh. 

* Agreeably to report. Note by Jones. " The furious cannonade 
from the upper and lower batteries of the ' Serapis ' occasioned 
many who had been skulking below in the ' Bon Homme Richard ' 
to come on deck. They were exposed to the grape-shot of the 
' Alliance,' while the enemy's men were under cover. It was, 
therefore, difficult to tell how many men on board the 'Bon 
Homme Richard' were killed and wounded by the shot from the 
'Alliance.' " — Journal for the King. 

It was attested by half a dozen officers that Landais said, next 
morning, he had raked with grape-shot, which he knew would 
scatter. 

t So in two different MS. copies and three in print. He means 
the only efficient officer in the forecastle. 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON 137 

"Alliance," the leak gained on the pumps, and the fire 
increased much on board both ships. Some officers 
persuaded me to strike, of whose courage and good 
sense I entertain a high opinion. My treacherous mas- 
ter-at-arms let loose all my prisoners without my knowl- 
edge, and my prospects became gloomy indeed.* I 
would not, however, give up the point. The enemy's 
mainmast began to shake,! their firing decreased fast, 
ours rather increased, and the British colors were struck 
at half an hour past ten o'clock. $ 

*This must have ruined Capt. Jones, had not the prisoners 
been terrified out of their senses. Capt. Jones availed himself of 
their fears and placed them to work the pumps. — Journal for the 
King 

t It went by the board, Capt. Pearson says, just as he was strik- 
ing. Jones says the same. Jones notices it as very remarkable 
how well the three light quarter-deck guns were served during the 
whole action,, and the confusion that ensued when the water was 
gaining below, the ships alternately catching fire from each other, 
the " Alliance " firing at the " Bon Homme Richard/' and the pris- 
oners set loose. " He got one of the off-guns otct soon after tbs 
'Alliance' raked the first time, but could never muster strength 
sufficient to bring over the other. In the clear moonlight, the 
enemy's mast being painted yellow, the flames of the main shrouds, 
etc., made the mainmast a distinct mark. Capt. Jones took aim at 
it with double-headed shot." 

J There was no occasion for a boat or bridge between the two 
ships. Capt. Pearson stepped on board the " Bon Homme Rich- 
ard " and delivered up his sword to Capt. Jones, who returned it 
to him because he had bravely used it. He then heard, and the 
next morning saw, with astonishment, the inferior force and man- 
gled condition of the "Bon Homme Richard." — Journal for the 
King. 

Mr. Goldsborough, in his "Naval Chronicles," p. 21, retails the 
following ridiculous anecdote : — 

" When Capt. Pearson was about delivering up his sword to 
Capt. Jones, he observed, ' I cannot, sir, but feel much mortifica- 
tion at the idea of surrendering my sword to a man who has fought 
me with a rope round his neck.' Capt. Jones received his sword, 



138 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

This prize proved to be the British ship of war, the 
" Serapis," a new ship of forty-four guns, built on the most 
approved construction, with two complete batteries, one 
of them of eighteen-pounders, and commanded by the 
brave Commodore Richard Pearson. I had yet two 
enemies to encounter, far more formidable than the 
Britons ; I mean fire and water. The " Serapis " was at- 
tacked only by the first, but the " Bon Homme Richard " 
was assailed by both ; there was five feet of water in the 
hold, and though it was moderate from the explosion of 
so much gunpowder, yet the three pumps that remained 
could with difficulty only keep the water from gaining. 
The fire broke out in various parts of the ship, in spite 
of all the water that could be thrown in to quench it, 
and at length broke out as low as the powder maga- 
zine, and within a few inches of the powder. In that 
dilemma I took out the powder upon deck, ready to be 
thrown overboard at the last extremity, and it was ten 
o'clock the next day, the 24th, before the fire was en- 
tirely extinguished. With respect to the situation of 
the " Bon Homme Richard," the rudder was entirely cut 
.off, the stern frame and transom were almost entirely cut 
away, and the timbers by the lower decks, especially 
from the mainmast towards the stern, being greatly 
decayed with age, were mangled beyond my power of 
description, and a person must have been an eye-wit- 
but immediately returned it, with the remark, ' You have fought 
gallantly, sir, and I hope your king will give you a better ship.' " 

Capt. Pearson was a gentleman as well as a brave officer. 
Though it appears by his autographic notes that in "reading and 
writing " he was not as well taught as Jones. He would have been 
guilty of no such nonsense as is above charged to him. Had* he 
been so, Jones would probably have given the sword to the man 
at his elbow, and interchanged no superfluous compliments with 
his vanquished customer. Such absurdities should not be a part 
of what is called "The Naval Chronicles of the United States." 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 139 

ness to form a just idea of the tremendous scene of 
carnage, wreck, and ruin which everywhere appeared.* 
Humanity cannot but recoil from the prospect of such 
finished horror, and lament that war should be capable 
of producing such fatal consequences. 

Alter the carpenters, as well as Capt. Cottineau and 
other men of sense, had well examined and surveyed 
the ship (which was not finished before five in the 
evening), I found every person to be convinced that it 
was impossible to keep the " Bon Homme Richard " 
afloat so as to reach a port, if the wind should increase, 
it being then only a very moderate breeze. I had but 
little time to remove my wounded, which now became 
unavoidable, and which was effected in the course of the 
night and next morning. I was determined to keep the 
" Bon Homme Richard " afloat, and, if possible, to bring 
her into port. For that purpose the first lieutenant of 
the " Pallas " continued on board, with a party of men 
to attend the pumps, with boats in waiting, ready to take 
them on board, in case the water should gain on them 
too fast. The wind augmented in the night, and the 
next day, the 25th, so that it was impossible to prevent 
the good old ship from sinking. They did not abandon 

*The "Bon Homme Richard" received little damage in her 
masts, but was cut entirely to pieces betweeu decks, especially from 
the mainmast to the stern. In that space there was an entire break 
on both sides, from the gun-deck almost to the water's edge ; so that 
towards the end of the action almost all the shot of the " Serapis " 
had passed through the " Bon Homme Richard," without touching. 
The rudder and transoms were cut off, and here and there an old 
rotten timber, besides the sternpost, was the ouly support that pre- 
vented the stern from falling down on the gun-room deck. Eight 
or ten of the " Bon Homme Richard's "men took away a fine cut- 
ter boat that had been at the stern of the " Serapis " during the 
action, and landed at Scarborough. Some others were so much 
afraid as to swim on board the " Alliance " after the action. — Jour- 
nal Jor the King. 



14° STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

her till after nine o'clock ; the water was then up to the 
lower deck ; and a little after ten, I saw, with inexpressi- 
ble grief, the last glimpse of the "Bon Homme Rich- 
ard." No lives were lost with the ship, but it was im- 
possible to save the stores, of any sort whatever. I lost 
even the best part of my clothes, books, and papers, and 
several of my officers lost all their clothes and effects. 

Having thus endeavored to give a clear and simple 
relation of the circumstances and events that have at- 
tended the little armament under my command, I shall 
freely submit my conduct therein to the censure of my 
superiors, and the impartial public. I beg leave, how- 
ever, to observe that the force put under my command 
was far from being well composed ; and as the great 
majority of the actors in it have appeared bent on the 
pursuit of interest only, I am exceedingly sorry that 
they and I have been at all concerned. 

Capt. Cottineau engaged the " Countess of Scarbor- 
ough," and took her after an hour's action, while the 
" Bon Homme Richard * engaged the " Serapis." The 
" Countess of Scarborough " is an armed ship of twenty 
six-pounders, and was commanded by a king's officer. 
In the action the " Countess of Scarborough " and the 
"Serapis" were at a considerable distance asunder; 
and the " Alliance," as I am informed, fired into the 
" Pallas " and killed some men. If it should be asked 
why the convoy was suffered to escape, I must answer 
that I was myself in no condition to pursue, and that 
none of the rest showed any inclination ; not even Mr. 
Ricot, who had held off at a distance to windward dur- 
ing the whole action, and withheld, by force, the pilot- 
boat, with my lieutenant and fifteen men.* The " Aili- 

* This is founded on a report that has proved to be false ; for it 
now appears that Capt. Ricot expressly ordered, the pilot-boat to 
board the " Bon Homme Richard," which order was obeyed. — Note 
by Jones. 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. H 1 

ance," too, was in a state to pursue the fleet, not having 
had a single man wounded, or a single shot fired at her 
from the " Serapis," and only three that did execution 
from the " Countess of Scarborough," at such a distance 
that one stuck in the side, and'the other two just touched, 
and then dropped into the water. The " Alliance " killed 
one man only on board the " Serapis." As Capt. 
Cottineau charged himself with manning and secur- 
ing the prisoners of the " Countess of Scarborough," 
I think the escape of the Baltic fleet cannot so well be 
charged to his account.* 

I should have mentioned that the mainmast and 
mizzen-topmast of the " Serapis " fell overboard soon 
after the captain had come on board the " Bon Homme 
Richard." 

After the reading was over, the young people asked, 
eagerly, what became of Landais. Col. Ingham told them 
that on his trial he was dismissed from the service of the 
United States. He died within a year or two, hopelessly 
insane, and may have been crazy on the night of the 
battle. King George knighted Pearson for his courage. 
When Jones heard this, he said, " If I meet him again, 
I '11 make a lord of him." 

Will Hackmatack then read aloud Pearson's account 
of the same battle. 

* It was a thick fog all the morning. When it began to clear up, 
the enemy's merchant ships had got safe into their harbors, and not 
a sail appeared along the shore. — Journal for the King. 



142 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 



RICHARD PEARSON'S REPORT OF HIS FIGHT WITH 
THE "BON HOMME RICHARD." 

" Pallas," French Frigatf, in Congress Service, 
Texkl, Oct. 6, 1779. 

Sir, — You will be pleased to inform the Lords Com- 
missioners of the Admiralty that on the 23d ult., being 
close in with Scarborough about eleven o'clock, a boat 
came on board with a letter from the bailiffs of that 
corporation, giving information of a flying squadron of 
the enemy's ships being on the coast, and of a part of 
the said squadron having been seen from thence the 
day before, standing to the southward. As soon as I 
received this intelligence I made the signal for the 
convoy to bear down under my lee, and repeated it 
with two guns, notwithstanding which the van of the 
convoy kept their wind, with all sail stretching out to 
the southward from under Flamborough Head, till 
between twelve and one, when the headmost of them 
got sight of the enemy's ships, which were then in chase 
of them ; they then tacked, and made the best of their 
way under the shore for Scarborough, etc., letting fly 
their topgallant sheets, and firing guns, upon which 
I made all the sail I could to windward, to get between 
the enemy's ships and the convoy, which I soon effected. 
At one o'clock we got sight of the enemy's ships from 
the masthead, and about four we made them plain from 
the deck to be three large ships and a brig, upon which 
I made the " Countess of Scarborough's " signal to join 
me, she being in shore with the convoy ; at the same 
time I made the signal for the convoy to make the best 
of their way, and repeated the signal with two guns. I 
then brought-to, to let the " Countess of Scarborough " 
come up, and cleared ship for action. At half past five 
the " Countess of Scarborough " joined me, the enemy's 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 143 

ships then bearing down upon us, with a light breeze at 
south-southwest, at six tacked and laid our head in 
shore, in order to keep our ground the better between 
the enemy's ship and the convoy, soon after which we 
perceived the ships bearing down upon us to be a two- 
decked ship and two frigates, but from their keeping 
end on upon us, on bearing down, we could not discern 
what colors they were under ; at about twenty minutes 
past seven, the largest ship of the three brought-to on 
our larboard bow, within musket-shot ; I hailed him, and 
asked what ship it was ; they answered, in English, the 
" Princess Royal." I then asked where they belonged 
to , they answered evasively, on which I told them if 
they did not answer directly, I would fire into them ; 
they then answered with a shot, which was instantly 
returned with a broadside ; and after exchanging two or 
three broadsides he backed his topsails, and dropped 
upon our quarter within pistol-shot j then filled again, 
put his helm a-weather, and run us on board upon our 
weather-quarter, and attempted to board us, but, being 
repulsed, he steered off, upon which I backed our top- 
sails, in order to get square with him again, which, as 
soon as he observed, he then filled, put his helm 
a-weather, and laid us athwart hawse ; his mizzen shrouds 
took our jibboom, which hung him for some time, till it 
at last gave way, and we dropped alongside of each 
other, head and stern, when, the fluke of our spare 
anchor hooking his quarter, we became so close fore 
and aft, that the muzzles of our guns touched each 
other's sides. In this position we engaged from half 
past eight till half past ten, during which time, from 
the great quantity and variety of combustible matters 
which they threw in upon our decks, chains, and in 
short, into every part of the ship, we were on fire no 
less than ten or twelve times in different parts of the 



144 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

ship, and it was with the greatest difficulty and exertion 
imaginable, at times, that we were able to get it extin- 
guished. At the same time the largest of the two 
frigates kept sailing round us the whole action, and 
raking us fore and aft, by which means she killed or 
wounded almost every man on the quarter and main 
decks. 

About half past nine, either from a hand grenade 
being thrown in at one of our lower deck ports, or 
from some other accident, a cartridge of powder was 
set on fire, the flames of which running from cartridge 
to cartridge all the way aft, blew up the whole of the 
people and officers that were quartered abaft the main- 
mast, from which unfortunate circumstance all those 
guns were rendered useless for the remainder of the ac- 
tion, and I fear the greatest part of the people will lose 
their lives. At ten o'clock they called for quarters from 
the ship alongside,. and said they had struck; hearing 
this, I called upon the captain to know if they had 
struck, or if he asked for quarters ; but no answer 
being made,* after repeating my words two or three 
times I called for the boarders, and ordered them to 
board, which they did ; but the moment they were on 
board her they discovered a superior number laying 
under cover, with pikes in their hands, ready to receive 
them, on which our people retreated instantly into our 
own ship, and returned to their guns again till past ten, 
when the frigate coming across our stern, and pouring her 
broadside into us again, without our being able to bring 
a gun to bear on her, I found it in vain, and in short im- 
practicable, from the situation we were in, to stand out 
any longer with the least prospect of success ; I therefore 
struck (our mainmast at the same time went by the 

* Pearson did not hear Jones's answer ; but the answer was, " I 
have not begun to fight." F. I. 



PAUL JONES AND RICHARD PEARSON. 145 

board). The first lieutenant and myself were imme- 
diately escorted into the ship alongside, when we 
found her to be an American ship of war, called the 
"Bon Homme Richard," of forty guns and three hun- 
dred and seventy-five men, commanded by Capt. Paul 
Jones ; the other frigate which engaged us, to be the 
" Alliance," of forty guns and three hundred men ; and 
the third frigate which engaged and took the " Countess 
of Scarborough," after two hours' action, to be the 
"Pallas," a French frigate of thirty-two guns and two 
hundred and seventy-five men ; the " Vengeance," an 
armed brig of twelve guns and seventy men, all in 
Congress service, and under command of Paul Jones. 
They fitted out and sailed from Port L'Orient the 
latter end of July, and came north about ; they have 
on board three hundred English prisoners, which they 
have taken in different vessels in their way round, since 
they left France, and have ransomed some others. On 
my going on board the "Bon Homme Richard " I found 
her in the greatest distress, her quarters and counter on 
the lower deck entirely drove in, and the whole of her 
lower deck guns dismounted ; she was also on fire in two 
places, and six or seven feet of water in her hold, which 
kept increasing upon them all night and the next day, 
till they were obliged to quit her, and she sunk with a 
great number of her wounded people on board her. 
She had three hundred and six men killed and wounded 
in the action ; our loss in the " Serapis " was also very 
great. My officers and people in general behaved well, 
and I should be very remiss in my attention to their 
merit were I to omit recommending the remains of 
them to their lordships' favor. I must at the same 
time beg leave to inform their lordships, that Capt. 
Piercy, in the " Countess of Scarborough," was not in 
the least remiss in his duty, he having given me every 
10 



I46 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

assistance in his power, and as much as could be 
expected from such a ship, in engaging the atten- 
tion of the " Pallas," a frigate of thirty-two guns, dur- 
ing the whole action. 

I am extremely sorry for the misfortune that has 
happened, — that of losing his Majesty's ship I had the 
honor to command ; but, at the same time, I flatter 
myself with the hopes that their lordships will be con- 
vinced that she has not been given away, but, on the 
contrary, that every exertion has been used to defend 
her ; and that two essential • pieces of service to our 
country have arisen from it : the one in wholly overset- 
ting the cruise and intentions of this flying squadron, 
the other in rescuing the whole of a valuable convoy 
from falling into the hands of the enemy, which must 
have been the case had I acted any otherwise than I 
did. We have been driving about in the North Sea 
ever since the action, endeavoring to make to any port 
we possibly could, but have not been able to get into 
any place till, to-day, we arrived in the Texel. 

Herewith I enclose you the most exact list of the 
killed and wounded I have as yet been able to procure, 
from my people being dispersed amongst the different 
ships, and having been refused permission to muster 
them ; there are, I find, many more both killed and 
wounded than appears on the enclosed list, but their 
names, as yet, I find impossible to ascertain ; as soon as 
I possibly can, shall give their lordships a full account 
of the whole. 

I am, sir, your most obedient and most humble servant, 

R. Pearson. 

P. S. I am refused permission to wait on Sir Joseph 
Yorke, and even to go on shore. Abstract of the list 
of killed and wounded : killed, 49 ; wounded, 68. 



IX. 
NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 

ALL New England boys and girls have the old 
Norse blood in them. At the bottom of their 
hearts they love the sea. They may be sea-sick when 
they go fishing for the first time on the ocean, but the 
love of adventure that sent their fathers here has not 
died out of them. 

Jones and Pearson, the " Bon Homme Richard," the 
"Serapis," and the "Alliance," set them all thinking 
and talking of the great naval battles of the last cent- 
ury. The grandfathers of some had lost their all in the 
consequences of the war with which this century began. 
The grandfathers of others had made fortunes in the 
same wars. One of the girls brought a candlestick 
which was a part of a prize taken by a Salem privateer ; 
and the colonel told them that the great clock in the 
hall came from another. So they worked up, among 
them, with a good deal of care, the crushing out of 
the French navy by the English, and, a fortnight after 
the reading in the last chapter, the colonel sent Her- 
bert into the other room to find Southey's "Life of 
Nelson" ; and then Laura read aloud the battle of 
Trafalgar. 



I48 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 



TRAFALGAR AND THE DEATH OF NELSON. 

He wore that day, as usual, his admiral's frock-coat, 
bearing on the left breast four stars, of the different 
orders with which he was invested. Ornaments which 
rendered him so conspicuous a mark for the enemy, 
were beheld with ominous apprehensions by his officers. 
It was known that there were riflemen on board the 
French ships, and it could not be doubted but that his 
life would be particularly aimed at. They communi- 
cated their fears to each other • and the surgeon, Mr. 
Beatty, spoke to the chaplain, Dr. Scott, and to Mr. 
Scott, the public secretary, desiring that some person 
would entreat him to change his dress or cover the 
stars ; but they knew that such a request would highly 
displease him. " In honor I gained them," he had 
said, when such a thing had been hinted to him for- 
merly, " and in honor I will die with them." Mr. 
Beatty, however, would not have been deterred, by any 
fear of exciting his displeasure, from speaking to him 
himself upon a subject in which the weal of England, 
as well as the life of Nelson, was concerned ; but he 
was ordered from the deck before he could find an op- 
portunity. This was a point upon which Nelson's offi- 
cers knew that it was hopeless to remonstrate or reason 
with him; but both Blackwood and his own captain, 
Hardy, represented to him how advantageous to the 
fleet it would be for him to keep out of action as long 
as possible ; and he consented at last to let the " Levia- 
than " and the " Temeraire," which were sailing abreast 
of the " Victory," be ordered to pass ahead. Yet even 
here the last infirmity of this noble mind was indulged, 
for these ships could not pass ahead if the " Victory " 
continued to carry all her sail ; and so far was Nelson 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 149 

from shortening sail, that it was evident he took pleas- 
ure in pressing on, and rendering it impossible for them 
to obey his own orders. A long swell was setting into 
the bay of Cadiz ; our ships, crowding all sail, moved 
majestically before it, with light winds from the south- 
west. The sun shone on the sails of the enemy ; and 
their well-formed line, with their numerous three-deck- 
ers, made an appearance which any other assailants 
would have thought formidable ; but the British sail- 
ors only admired the beauty and splendor of the specta- 
cle \ and, in full confidence of winning what they saw, 
remarked to each other what a fine sight yonder ships 
would make at Spithead. 

The French admiral, from the "Bucentaure," beheld 
the new manner in which his enemy was advancing, — 
Nelson and Collingwood each leading his line, — and, 
pointing them out to his officers, he is said to have 
exclaimed that such conduct could not fail to be suc- 
cessful. Yet Villeneuve had made his own dispositions 
with the utmost skill, and the fleets under his command 
waited for the attack with perfect coolness. Ten min- 
utes before twelve they opened their fire. Eight or nine 
of the ships immediately ahead of the "Victory," and 
across her bows, fired single guns at her, to ascertain 
whether she was yet within their range. As soon as 
Nelson perceived that their shot passed over him, he 
desired Blackwood, and Capt. Prowse, of the " Sirius," 
to repair to their respective frigates, and on their way 
to tell all the captains of the line-of-battle ships that 
he depended on their exertions, and that if, by the pre- 
scribed mode of attack, they found it impracticable to 
get into action immediately, they might adopt whatever 
they thought best, provided it led them quickly and 
closely alongside, an enemy. As they were standing 
on the front of the poop, Blackwood took him by the 



I50 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

hand, saying he hoped soon to return and find him in 
possession of twenty prizes. He replied, "God bless 
you, Blackwood, I shall never see you again ! " 

Nelson's column was steered about two points more 
to the north than Collingwood's, in order to cut off the 
enemy's escape into Cadiz ; the lee line, therefore, was 
first engaged. " See," cried Nelson, pointing to the 
" Royal Sovereign," as she steered right for the centre 
of the enemy's line, cut through it astern of the " Santa 
Anna," three-decker, and engaged her at the muzzle of 
her guns on the starboard side, — " see how that noble 
fellow, Collingwood, carries his ship into action ! " Col- 
lingwood, delighted at being first in the heat of the fire, 
and knowing the feelings of his commander and old 
friend, turned to his captain and exclaimed, " Rother- 
ham, what would Nelson give to be here ! " Both 
these brave officers, perhaps, at this moment thought 
of Nelson with gratitude, for a circumstance which had 
occurred on the preceding day. Admiral Collingwood, 
with some of the captains, having gone on board the 
"Victory" to receive instructions, Nelson inquired of 
him where his captain was, and was told, in reply, that 
they were not upon good terms with each other. 
" Terms ! " said Nelson ; " good terms with each other ! " 
Immediately he sent a boat for Capt. Rotherham, led 
him, as soon as he arrived, to Collingwood, and saying, 
" Look, yonder are the enemy ! " bade them shake hands 
like Englishmen. 

The enemy continued to fire a gun at a time at the 
" Victory," till they saw that a shot had passed through 
her main top-gallant sail ; then they opened their broad- 
sides, aiming chiefly at her rigging, in the hope of dis- 
abling her before she could close with them. Nelson, 
as usual, had hoisted several flags, lest one should be 
shot away. The enemy showed no colors till late in 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 15 I 

the action, when they began to feel the necessity of 
having them to strike. For this reason, the "Santis- 
sima Trinidad," Nelson's old acquaintance, as he used 
to call her, was distinguishable only by her four decks, 
and to the bow of this opponent he ordered the "Vic- 
tory " to be steered. Meantime an incessant raking fire 
was kept up upon the " Victory." 

The admiral's secretary was one of the first who fell ; 
he was killed by a cannon-shot while conversing with 
Hardy. Capt. Adair, of the marines, with the help of 
a sailor, endeavored to remove the body from Nelson's 
sight, who had a great regard for Mr. Scott, but he 
anxiously asked, " Is that poor Scott that 's gone ? " 
and being informed that it was indeed so, exclaimed, 
" Poor fellow ! " Presently a double-headed shot struck 
a party of marines, who were drawn up on the poop, 
and killed eight of them ; upon which Nelson imme- 
diately desired Capt. Adair to disperse his men round 
the ship, that they might not suffer so much from being 
together. A few minutes afterwards a shot struck the 
fore-brace bits on the quarter-deck, and passed between 
Nelson and Hardy, a splinter from the bit tearing off 
Hardy's buckle and bruising his foot. Both stopped 
and looked anxiously at each other ; each supposed the 
other to be wounded. Nelson then smiled, and said, 
" This is too warm work, Hardy, to last long." 

The " Victory " had not yet returned a single gun ; fifty 
of her men had been by this time killed or wounded, 
and her boom-mast, with all her studding-sails and her 
booms, shot away. Nelson declared that in all his 
battles he had seen nothing which surpassed the cool 
courage of his crew on this occasion. At four minutes 
after twelve, she opened her fire from both sides of her 
deck. It was not possible to break the enemy's line 
without running on board one of their ships ; Hardy 



I5 2 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

informed him of this, and asked him which he would 
prefer. Nelson replied, " Take your choice, Hardy, it 
does not signify much." The master was ordered to 
put the helm to port, and the " Victory " ran on board 
the " Redoubtable," just as her tiller-ropes were shot 
away. The French ship received her with a broad- 
side, then instantly let down her lower-deck ports, for 
fear of being boarded through them, and never after- 
ward fired a great gun during the action. Her tops, 
like those of all the enemy's ships, were filled with rifle- 
men. Nelson never placed musketry in his tops ; he 
had a strong dislike to the practice, not merely because 
it endangers setting fire to the sails, but also because 
it is a murderous sort of warfare by which individuals 
may suffer, and a commander now and then be picked 
off, but which never can decide the fate of a general 
engagement. 

Capt. Harvey, in the "Temeraire," fell on board the 
" Redoubtable " on the other side ; another enemy 
was in like manner on board the " Temeraire " ; so that 
these four ships formed as compact a tier as if they had 
been moored together, their heads lying all the same 
way The lieutenants of the " Victory," seeing this, 
depressed their guns of the middle and lower decks, 
and fired with a diminished charge, lest the shot should 
pass through and injure the "Temeraire." And because 
there was danger that the " Redoubtable " might take 
fire from the lower-deck guns, the muzzles of which 
touched her side when they were run out, the fireman of 
each gun stood ready with a bucket of water, wmich, as 
soon as the gun was discharged, he dashed into the hole 
made by the shot. An incessant fire was kept up from 
the " Victory " from both sides, her larboard guns play- 
ing upon the " Bucentaure " and the huge " Santissima 
Trinidad." 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 153 

It had been part of Nelson's prayer that the British 
fleet might be distinguished by humanity in the victory 
which he expected. Setting an example himself, he 
twice gave orders to cease firing upon the " Redoubt- 
able," supposing that she had struck, because her great 
guns were silent ; for, as she carried no flag, there was 
no means of instantly ascertaining the fact. From this 
ship, which he had thus twice spared, he received his 
death. A ball fired from her mizzen-top, which, in the 
then situation of the two vessels, was not more than fif- 
teen yards from that part of the deck where he was 
standing, struck the epaulette on his left shoulder, about 
a quarter after one, just in the heat of action. He fell 
upon his face, on the spot which was covered with his 
poor secretary's blood. Hardy, who was a few steps 
from him, turning round, saw three men raising him up. 
"They have done for me at last, Hardy," said he. "I 
hope not," cried Hardy. " Yes," he replied, " my back- 
bone is shot through." Yet even now, not for a moment 
losing his presence of mind, he observed, as they were 
carrying him down the ladder, that the tiller ropes, 
which had been shot away, were not yet replaced, and 
ordered that new ones should be rove immediately ; 
then, that he might not be seen by the crew, he took 
out his handkerchief, and covered his face and his stars. 
Had he but concealed these badges of honor from the 
enemy, England, perhaps, would not have had cause to 
receive with sorrow the news of the battle of Trafalgar. 
The cockpit was crowded with wounded and dying men, 
over whose bodies he was with some difficulty conveyed, 
and laid upon a pallet in the midshipmen's berth. It 
was soon perceived, upon examination, that the wound 
was mortal. This, however, was concealed from all, 
except Capt. Hardy, the chaplain, and the medical 
attendants. He himself being certain, from the sensa- 



154 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

tion in his back, and the gush of blood he felt momently 
within his breast, that no human care could avail him, 
insisted that the surgeon should leave him and attend to 
those to whom he might be useful. " For," said he, 
"you can do nothing for me." Ail that could be done 
was to fan him with paper, and frequently to give him 
lemonade to alleviate his intense thirst. He was in 
great pain, and expressed much anxiety for the event of 
the action, which now began to declare itself. As often 
as a ship struck, the crew of the " Victory " huzzaed, 
and at every huzza a visible expression of joy gleamed 
in the eyes, and marked the countenance of the dying 
hero. But he became impatient to see Capt. Hardy j 
as that officer, though often sent for, could not leave 
the deck, Nelson feared that some fatal cause prevented 
him, and repeatedly cried, " Will no one bring Hardy to 
me ? He must be killed ! He is surely dead ! " An 
hour and ten minutes elapsed from the time when Nel- 
son received his wound, before Hardy could come to 
him. They shook hands in silence, Hardy in vain 
struggling to suppress the feelings of the most painful, 
and yet sublimest moment. " Well, Hardy," said Nel- 
son, "how goes the day with us ? " "Very well," replied 
Hardy ; " ten ships have struck, but five of the van have 
tacked, and show an intention to bear down upon the 
'Victory.' I have called two or three of our fresh 
ships round, and have no doubt of giving them a drub- 
bing." " I hope," said Nelson, " none of our ships 
have struck ? " Hardy answered, " There was no fear 
of that." Then, and not till then, Nelson spoke of 
himself. " I am a dead man, Hardy," said he. " I am 
going fast, — it will be all over with me soon. Come 
nearer to me. Let my dear Lady Hamilton have my 
hair, and all other things belonging to me." Hardy 
observed that he hoped Mr. Beatty could yet hold out 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 155 

some prospect of life. "Oh no!" he replied, "it is 
impossible. My back is shot through ; Beatty will tell 
you so." Capt. Hardy then once more shook hands 
with him, and, with a heart almost bursting, hastened 
upon deck. 

By this time all feeling below the breast was gone, 
and Nelson, having made the surgeon ascertain this, 
said to him, " You know I am gone ; I know it. I feel 
something rising in my breast" — putting his hand on 
his left side — "which tells me so." And upon Beatty's 
inquiring whether his pain was very great, he replied, 
" So great that I wish I was dead. Yet," said he, in a 
lower voice, "one would like to live a little longer, 
too ! " And after a few minutes, in the same under- 
tone, he added, "What would become of poor Lady 
Hamilton if she knew my situation ! " Next to his 
country, she occupied his thoughts. Capt. Hardy, some 
fifty minutes after he had left the cockpit, returned, and 
again taking the hand of his dying friend and com- 
mander, congratulated him on having gained a com- 
plete victory. How many of the enemy were taken 
he did not know, as it was impossible to perceive them 
distinctly, but fourteen or fifteen, at least. "That's 
well," cried Nelson, "but I bargained for twenty." And 
then, in a stronger voice, he said, "Anchor, Hardy, 
anchor." Hardy, upon this, hinted that Admiral Col- 
lingwood would take upon himself the direction of 
affairs. " Not while I live, Hardy," said the dying 
Nelson, ineffectually endeavoring to raise himself from 
the bed. "Do you anchor." His previous order for 
preparing to anchor had shown how clearly he foresaw 
the necessity of this. Presently, calling Hardy back, 
he said to him, in a low voice, " Don't throw me over- 
board " ; and he desired that he might be buried by his 
parents, unless it should please the king to order other- 



156 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

wise. Then reverting to private feelings : " Take care 
of my dear Lady Hamilton, Hardy; take care of poor 
Lady Hamilton. Kiss me, Hardy," said he. Hardy 
knelt down and kissed his cheek, and Nelson said, 
"Now I am satisfied, Thank God, I have done my 
duty. ' Hardy stood over him in silence for a moment 
or two, then knelt again and kissed his forehead. " Who 
is that ? " said Nelson ; and, being informed, he replied, 
" God bless you, Hardy! " And Hardy then left him — 
forever. 

Nelson now desired to be turned upon his right side, 
and said, " I wish I had not left the deck, for I shall 
be gone soon " Death was, indeed, rapidly approach- 
ing. He said to the chaplain, "Doctor, I have not been 
a great sinner " ; and after a short pause, " Remember 
that I leave Lady Hamilton and my daughter, Horatia, as 
a legacy to my country." His articulation now became 
difficult, but he was distinctly heard to say, ('Thank 
God, I have done my duty ! ") These words he repeat- 
edly pronounced, and they were the last words which 
he uttered. He expired at thirty minutes after four, — 
three hours and a quarter after he had received his 
wound. 

Within a quarter of an hour after Nelson was 
wounded, about fifty of the "Victory's" men fell by 
the enemy's musketry. They, however, on their part, 
were not idle, and it was not long before there were 
only two Frenchmen left alive in the mizzen-top of the 
" Redoubtable." One of them was the man who had 
given the fatal wound ; he did not live to boast of what 
he had done. An old quartermaster had seen him fire, 
and easily recognized him, because he wore a glazed 
cocked hat and a white frock. This quartermaster and 
two midshipmen, Mr. Collingwood and Mr. Pollard, 
were the only persons left in the " Victory's " poop ; 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 157 

the two midshipmen kept firing at the top, and he sup- 
plied them with cartridges. One of the Frenchmen, 
attempting to make his escape down the rigging, was 
shot by Mr. Pollard, and fell on the poop. But the 
old quartermaster, as he cried out, " That 's he ! that 's 
he ! " and pointed at the other who was coming for- 
ward to fire again, received a shot in his mouth and fell 
dead. Both the midshipmen then fired at the same 
time, and the fellow dropped in the top. When they 
took possession of the prize, they went into the mizzen- 
top and found him dead, with one ball through his head 
and another through his breast. 

The " Redoubtable " struck within twenty minutes 
after the fatal shot had been fired from her. During 
that time she had been twice on fire, in her forechains 
and in her forecastle. The French, as they had done 
in other battles, made use in this of fire-balls and other 
combustibles, — implements of destruction which other 
nations, from a sense of honor and humanity, have laid 
aside, — which add to the sufferings of the wounded 
without determining the issue of the combat, which 
none but the cruel would employ, and which never can 
be successful against the brave. Once they succeeded 
in setting fire, from the " Redoubtable," to some ropes 
and canvas on the " Victory's " booms. The cry ran 
through the ship and reached the cockpit, but even 
this dreadful cry produced no confusion ; the men dis- 
played that perfect self-possession in danger by which 
English seamen are characterized. They extinguished 
the flames on board their own ship, and then hastened 
to extinguish them in the enemy by throwing buckets 
of water from the gangway. When the " Redoubtable " 
had struck, it w r as not practicable to board her from the 
"Victory," for though the two ships touched, the upper 
works of both fell in so much that there was a great 



158 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

space between their gangways, and she could not be 
boarded from the lower or middle decks, because her 
ports were down. Some of the men went to Lieut. 
Quikan and offered to swim under her bows and get up 
there, but it was thought unfit to hazard brave lives in 
this manner. 

What our men would have done from gallantry, some 
of the crew of the " Santissima Trinidad " did to save 
themselves. Unable" to stand the tremendous fire of 
the "Victory," whose larboard guns played against this 
great four-decker, and not knowing how else to escape 
them, nor where else to betake themselves for protec- 
tion, many of them leaped overboard and swam to the 
"Victory," and were actually helped up her sides by 
the English during the action. The Spaniards began 
the battle with less vivacity than their unworthy allies, 
but they continued it with great firmness. The " Argo- 
nauta " and " Bahama " were defended until they had 
each lost above five hundred men ; the " San Juan 
Nepomuceno " lost three hundred and fifty. Often as 
the superiority of British courage has been proved 
against France upon the seas, it was never more con- 
spicuous than in this decisive conflict. Five of our 
ships were engaged muzzle to muzzle with five of the 
French. In all five the Frenchmen lowered their lower- 
deck ports and deserted their guns, while our men con- 
tinued deliberately to load and fire till they had made 
the victory secure. 

Once, amid his sufferings, Nelson had expressed a 
wish that he were dead, but immediately the spirit sub- 
dued the pains of death, and he wished to live a little 
longer, doubtless that he might hear the completion of 
the victory which he had seen so gloriously begun. 
That consolation, that joy, that triumph, was afforded 
him. He lived to know that the victory was decisive, 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. 1 59 

and the last guns which were fired at the flying enemy- 
were heard a minute or two before he expired. The 
ships which were thus flying were four of the enemy's 
van, all French, under Rear-Admiral Dumanoir. They 
had borne no part in the action, and now, when they 
were seeking safety in flight, they fired not only into the 
"Victory" and "Royal Sovereign" as they passed, but 
poured their broadsides into the Spanish captured ships, 
and they were seen to back their topsails, for the pur- 
pose of firing with more precision. The indignation of 
the Spaniards at this detestable cruelty from their allies, 
for whom they had fought so bravely, and so profusely 
bled, may well be conceived ; it was such that when, 
two days after the action, seven of the ships which had 
escaped into Cadiz came out, in hopes of retaking some 
of the disabled prizes, the prisoners in the "Argo- 
nauta," in a body, offered their services to the British 
prize-master to man the guns against any of the French 
ships, saying that if a Spanish ship came alongside 
they would quietly go below, but they requested that 
they might be allowed to fight the French, in resent- 
ment for the murderous usage which they had suffered 
at their hands. Such was their earnestness, and such 
the implicit confidence which could be placed in Span- 
ish honor, that the offer was accepted, and they were 
actually stationed at the lower-deck guns. Dumanoir 
and his squadron were not more fortunate than the fleet 
from whose destruction they fled ; they fell in with 
Sir Richard Strachan, who was cruising for the Roche- 
fort squadron, and were all taken. In the better days 
of France, if such a crime could then have been com- 
mitted, it would have received an exemplary punish- 
ment from the French government. Under Bonaparte 
it was sure of impunity, and perhaps might be thought 
deserving of reward. But if the Spanish court had 



l6o STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

been independent it would have become us to have 
delivered Dumanoir and his captains up to Spain, that 
they might have been brought to trial, and hanged in 
sight of the remains of the Spanish fleet. 

The total British loss in the battle of Trafalgar 
amounted to one thousand five hundred and eighty- 
seven. Twenty of the enemy struck, but as it was not 
possible to anchor the fleet, as Nelson had enjoined, 
a gale came on from the southwest ; some of the prizes 
went clown, some went on shore, one effected its escape 
into Cadiz, others were destroyed ; four only Were saved, 
and those by the greatest exertions. The wounded 
Spaniards were sent ashore, on assurance being given 
that they should not serve till regularly exchanged ; and 
the Spaniards, with a generous feeling which would not 
perhaps have been found in any other people, offered 
the use of their hospitals for our wounded, pledging the 
honor of Spain that they should be carefully attended 
there. When the storm, after the action, drove some 
of the prizes upon the coast, they declared that the 
English, who were thus thrown into their hands, should 
not be considered as prisoners of war, and the Span- 
ish soldiers gave up their own beds to their shipwrecked 
enemies. The Spanish vice-admiral, Alva, died of his 
wounds. Villeneuve was sent to England, and per- 
mitted to return to France. The French government 
say that he destroyed himself on the way to Paris, 
dreading the consequences of a court-martial ; but 
there is every reason to believe that the tyrant who 
never acknowledged the loss of the battle of Trafalgar 
added Villeneuve to the numerous victims of his mur- 
derous policy. 

When Laura ceased reading, they all broke out into 
questions. 



NELSON AND TRAFALGAR. l6l 

" Do you believe Napoleon killed him ? " cried Horace 
Feltham. 

k ' Not I," said the colonel, "and I do not love Napo- 
leon any too much. That is one of Mr. Southey's 
absurd insular jealousies or exaggerations. It belongs 
to the habit of caricature, in which the English repre 
sented George III. as the giant King of Brobdignag, 
holding the puny Napoleon as Gulliver on his finger. 
Even Walter Scott, whose prejudices are as great as 
his genius, and whose life of Napoleon is as bad a 
biography as was ever written, does not pretend that 
he killed Villeneuve. Villeneuve stabbed himself to the 
heart. The story is, that when he was found dead 
there was an anatomical book open before him, where 
he had stuck a needle in the picture of the heart, just 
where his dagger was found in his own." 

Pauline asked when it was that Nelson gave the cel- 
ebrated signal, "England expects each man to do 

his DUTY." 

The colonel sighed. " There is not a word about it 
in any of the despatches. All the same," he said, " it 
is now the received history. When I went on board 
the 'Resolute,' Arctic exploring ship, after she had 
drifted down from the north, the first thing I noticed 
over the wheel was this inscription. I do not know it 
they do, but I should think the English would place it 
in all their vessels." 



11 



X. 

THE ENGLISH NAVY. 

" T SUPPOSE," said Col. Ingham, when they next 

JL met, " that most of you have read ' Peter Simple,' 
and the rest of Marryat's sea novels. Then there is 
'Tom Cringle's Log,' 'The Cruise of the Midge,' and, 
indeed, quite a little literature of that sort." 

The boys were quite well posted on Marryat's novels. 

" If you want to see what the English navy really 
was in those days, there is a book of capital essays, 
which will really remind you of Dana's ' Two Years 
Before the Mast,' which was written long after. It is 
Basil Hall's ' Fragments of Voyages and Travels.' I 
think they were first published as magazine articles. 
He was an officer in the English navy. He held a light 
pen, and wrote pleasant books. Among others he wrote 
a book of travels in this country, in the old dark ages, 
when we were sensitive about the opinions of English 
travellers, and had not learned to laugh at the ' conde- 
scension to be observed in all foreigners.' " 

The boys put down in their note-books the name of 
the book. But when they returned the next week, it 
proved the book was in none of the public libraries of 
Boston. 

" So soon forgotten?" asked Col. Ingham. "Then 
we must put up some bright publisher to reprinting an 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 63 

abridgment of it." He sent Oliver for the book, and 
then lent it to him. He told the boys to mark what 
should be read aloud the next Saturday, and they made 
these selections. 

MIDSHIPMEN'S PRANKS — HISTORY OF SHAKINGS. 

During the long winters of our slothful discontent at 
Bermuda, caused by the Peace of Amiens, the grand 
resource, both of the idle and the busy, among all 
classes of the "Leander's" officers, was shooting ; that 
never-ending, still-beginning amusement, which English- 
men carry to the remotest corners of the habitable 
globe, popping away in all countries, thinking only of 
the game, and often but too reckless of the prejudices 
or fears of the natives. This propensity is indulged 
even in those uninhabited regions of the earth which 
are visited only once in an age ; and if Capt. Parry had 
reached the Pole, he would unquestionably have had a 
shot at the axis of the earth. 

In the mean time, the officers and the young gentle- 
men of the flag-ship at Bermuda, in the beginning of 
1803, I suppose to keep their hands in for the war which 
they saw brewing, and hourly prayed for, were con- 
stantly blazing away among the cedar groves and 
orange plantations of those fairy islands, which ap- 
peared more and more beautiful after every such excur- 
sion. The midshipmen were generally obliged to con- 
tent themselves with knocking down the blue and the 
red birds with the ship's pistols, charged with his Maj- 
esty's gunpowder, and, for want of small shot, with 
slugs, formed by cutting up his Majesty's musket bul- 
lets. The officers aimed at higher game, and were, of 
course, better provided with guns and ammunition. 
Several of these gentlemen had brought from England 



1 64 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

some fine dogs, high-bred pointers ; while the middies 
also, not to be outdone, must needs have a dog of their 
own, they recked very little of what breed, but some sort 
of an animal they said they must have. 

I forget how we procured the strange-looking beast 
whose services we contrived to engage, but, having once 
obtained him, we were not slow in giving him our best 
affections. It is true, he was as ugly as anything could 
possibly be. His color was a dirty reddish yellow; 
and while one part of his hair became knotted and 
twisted into curls, another portion hung down, quite 
straight, almost to the ground. He proved utterly use- 
less for all the purposes of real sport, but was quite 
good enough to furnish the mids with plenty of fun, 
when they went on shore, in chasing pigs, barking at 
old white-headed negresses, and other amusements 
suited to the exalted taste and habits of the rising gen- 
eration of officers. 

People will differ about the merits of dogs, but we 
had no doubts as to the great superiority of ours over 
all the others on board, though the name we gave him 
certainly implied no such confidence on our part. After 
a full deliberation, it was decided to call him Shakings. 
Now it must be explained that "shakings" is the name 
given to small fragments of rope-yarns, odds and ends 
of cordage, bits of oakum, old lanyards ; in short, to 
any kind of refuse arising out of the wear and tear of 
the ropes. This odd name was, perhaps, bestowed on 
our beautiful favorite in consequence of his color not 
being very dissimilar to that of well-tarred Russia 
hemp, while the resemblance was daily increased by 
many a dab of pitch, which, in the hot weather, his 
rough coat imbibed from the seams between the planks 
of the deck. 

If old Shakings was no great beauty, he was at least 



' THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 65 

the most companionable of dogs ; and though he dearly 
loved the midshipmen, and was dearly beloved by them 
in return, he had enough of the animal in his composi- 
tion to take a still higher pleasure in the society of his 
kind. So that, when the high-bred, showy pointers 
belonging to the officers returned on board, after each 
shooting excursion, Master Shakings lost no time in ap- 
plying to his fellow-dogs for the news. The pointers, who 
liked this sort of familiarity very well, gave poor Shak 
ings all sorts of encouragement. Not so their masters, 
the officers, who could not bear to see " such an abom- 
inable cur," as they called our favorite, at once "so 
cursedly dirty and so utterly useless," mixing with their 
sleek and well-kept animals. At first their dislike was 
confined to such insulting expressions as the above ; 
then it came to an occasional kick on the stern, or a 
knock on the nose with the but-end of a fowling-piece, 
and, lastly, to a sound cut across the rump with the 
hunting-whip. 

Shakings, who instinctively knew his place, or, at all 
events, soon learned it, took all this, like a sensible 
fellow, in good part, while the mids, when out of hear- 
ing of the higher powers, uttered curses both loud and 
deep against the tyranny and oppression exercised 
towards an animal which, in their fond fancy, was 
declared to be worth all the showy dogs in the ward- 
room put together. They were little prepared, however, 
for the stroke which soon fell upon them, perhaps in 
consequence of these very murmurs, for bulkheads have 
ears as well as walls. To their great horror and indig- 
nation, one of their lieutenants, provoked at some lib- 
erty which Master Shakings had taken with his newly 
polished boot, called out, one morning, — 

"Man the jolly-boat, and land that infernal, dirty, 
ugly beast of a dog belonging to the young gentle- 
men ! " 



1 66 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" Where shall I take him to, sir ? " asked the strokes- 
man of the boat. 

" Oh, anywhere ; pull to the nearest part of the 
shore, and pitch him out on the rocks. He'll shift 
for himself, I have no doubt." So off went poor, dear 
Shakings. 

If a stranger had come into the midshipmen's berth 
at that moment, he might have thought his Majesty's 
naval service was about to be broken up. All alle- 
giance, discipline, and subordination seemed utterly 
cancelled by this horrible act. Many were the execra- 
tions hurled upwards at the offending " nobs," who, we 
declared, were combining to make our lives miserable. 
Some of our party voted for writing a letter of remon- 
strance to the admiral against this unheard-of outrage, 
and one youth swore deeply that he would leave the ser- 
vice unless justice were obtained ; but as he had been 
known to swear to the same thing half a dozen times 
every week since he joined the ship, no great notice 
was taken of the pledge. Another declared, upon his 
word of honor, that such an act was enough to make a 
man turn Turk, and fly his country. At last, by gen- 
eral agreement, it was decided that we should not do a 
bit of duty, or even stir from our seats, till we obtained 
redress for our grievances. 

While we were in the very act of vowing mutiny and 
disobedience, the hands were turned up to " furl sails ! " 
upon which the whole party, totally forgetting their 
magnanimous resolution, scudded up the ladders, and 
jumped into their stations with more than usual alacrity, 
wisely thinking that the moment for actual revolt had 
not yet arrived. 

A better scheme than throwing up the service, or 
writing to the admiral, or turning Mussulman, was after- 
ward, concocted. The midshipmen who went on shore 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 67 

in the next boat easily got hold of poor Shakings, who 
was howling on the steps of the watering-place. In 
order to conceal him, he was stuffed, neck and crop, 
into the captain's cloak-bag, brought safely on board, 
and restored once more to the bosom of his friends. 

In spite of all we could do, however, to keep Master 
Shakings below, he presently found his way to the 
quarter-deck, to receive the congratulations of the 
other dogs. There he was soon detected by the 
higher powers, and very shortly afterwards trundled 
over the gangway, and again tossed on- the beach. 
Upon this occasion he was honored by the presence 
of one of his own masters, a middy, sent upon this 
express duty, who was specially desired " to land the 
brute, and not to bring him on board again." Of 
course this particular youngster did not bring the dog 
off ; but, before night, somehow or other, old Shakings 
was snoring away in grand chorus, with his more fash- 
ionable friends, the pointers, and dreaming no evil, 
before the door of the very officer's cabin whose beau- 
tifully polished boots he had brushed by so rudely in 
the morning, — an offence that had led to his ban- 
ishment. 

This second return of our dog was too much. The 
whole posse of us were sent for on to the quarter-deck, 
and in very distinct terms positively ordered not to bring 
Shakings on board again. These injunctions having 
been given, this wretched victim, as we termed him, of 
oppression, was once more landed among the cedar 
groves. This time he remained a full week on shore ; 
but how or when he found his way off again, no one ever 
knew ; at least no one chose to divulge. Never was there 
anything like the mutual joy felt by Shakings and his two 
dozen masters at this meeting. He careered about the 
ship, barked and yelled with delight, and, in his raptures. 



1 68 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

actually leaped, with his dirty feet, on the milk-white 
duck trousers of the disgusted officers, who heartily 
wished him at the bottom of the anchorage. Thus the 
poor beast unwittingly contributed to accelerate his 
hapless fate, by this ill- timed show of confidence in 
those who were then plotting his ruin. If he had only 
kept his paws to himself, and staid quietly in the dark 
recesses of the cockpit, wings, cable-tiers, and other 
wild regions, the secrets of which, known only to the 
inhabitants of our submarine world, all might yet have 
been well. 

We had a grand jollification on the night of Shakings's 
restoration, and his health was in the very act of being 
drunk, with three times three, when the officer of the 
watch, hearing an uproar below, the sounds of which 
were conveyed distinctly up the windsail, sent down to 
put our lights out, and we were forced to march off, 
growling, to our hammocks. 

Next day, to our surprise and horror, old Shakings 
was not to be seen or heard of. We searched every- 
where, interrogated the coxswains of all the boats, and 
cross-questioned the marines who had been sentries 
during the night on the forecastle, gangways, and poop, 
but all in vain ! no trace of Shakings could be found. 

At length the idea began to gain ground among us 
that the poor beast had been put to an end by some 
diabolical means, and our ire mounted accordingly. 
The suspicion seemed the more natural, as the officers 
said not a word about the matter, nor even asked us 
what we had done with our dog. While we were in this 
state of excitement and distraction for our loss, one of 
the midshipmen, who had some drollery in his composi- 
tion, gave a new turn to the expression of our thoughts. 

This gentleman, who was more than twice as old as 
most of us, say about thirty, had won the affections of the 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 69 

whole of our class, by the gentleness of his manners 
and the generous part he always took on our side. He 
bore among us the pet name of Daddy, and certainly he 
was as a father to those of us who, like myself, were quite 
adrift in the ship, without any one to look after them. 
He was a man of talents and classical education, but he 
had entered the navy far too late in life ever to take to 
it cordially. His habits, indeed, had become so rigid, 
that they could never be made to bend to the mortifying 
kind of discipline which it appears essential every offi- 
cer should run through, but which only the young and 
light-hearted can brook. Our worthy friend, accord- 
ingly, with all his abilities, taste, and acquirements, 
never seemed at home on board ship ; and unless a man 
can reach this point of liking for the sea, he is better on 
shore. At all events, our old friend Daddy cared more 
about his books than about the blocks, and delighted 
much more in giving us assistance in our literary pursuits, 
and trying to teach us to be useful, than in rendering 
himself a proficient in those professional mysteries 
which he never hoped to practise in earnest himself. 

What this very interesting person's early history might 
have been we never could find out, nor could we guess 
why he entered the navy, nor conjecture how it came 
that a man of his powers and accomplishments should 
have been kept back so long. Indeed the youngsters 
never inquired too closely into these matters, being 
quite contented to have the advantage of his protection 
against the oppression of some of the other oldsters, 
who occasionally bullied them. In all cases of diffi- 
culty we never failed to cluster round him, to tell our 
grievances, great and small, with the certainty of finding 
in him that great desideratum in Calamity, — a patient 
and friendly listener. 

It will easily be supposed that our kind Daddy took 



17° STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

more than usual interest in this affair of Shakings, and 
that he was applied to by us at every stage of the trans- 
action. He felt, like us, sadly perplexed when the dog 
was finally missing, and for some days afterwards he 
could afford us no comfort, nor suggest any mode of 
revenge which was not too dangerous for his young 
friends to put in practice. He prudently observed that, 
as we had no certainty to go upon, it would be foolish 
to get ourselves into a serious scrape for nothing at 
all. 

"There can be no harm, however," he at last ex- 
claimed, in his dry and slightly sarcastic way, which all 
who knew him well recollect as well as if they saw him 
now, drawing his hand slowly across his mouth and 
chin, — " there can be no possible harm, my boys, in 
putting the other dogs in mourning for their dear 
departed friend Shakings ; for, whatever has become 
of him, he is lost to them as well as to you, and his 
memory ought to be duly respected by his old masters." 

This hint was no sooner given than a cry was raised 
for crape, and every chest and bag ransacked to pro- 
cure badges of mourning. Each of the pointers was 
speedly rigged up with a large bunch of black, tied in 
a bow upon his left leg just above the knee. The joke 
took immediately, and even the officers could not help 
laughing; for though we considered them little better 
than fiends at that moment of excitement, these gentle- 
men showed themselves (except in this instance) the 
best-natured and most indulgent persons I remember 
to have sailed with. They ordered the crape, however, 
to be instantly cut off from the dogs' legs ; and one of 
the officers remarked to us, seriously, that " as we had 
now had our piece of fun out, there were to be no more 
such tricks." 

Off we scampered, to consult old Daddy what was to 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 71 

be done next, as we had been positively ordered not to 
meddle any more with the dogs. 

" Put the pigs in mourning ! " he said. 

All our crape had been expended by this time, but 
this want was soon supplied by men whose trade it is 
to discover resources in difficulty. With a generous 
devotion to the memory of the departed Shakings, one 
of these juvenile mutineers pulled off his black hand- 
kerchief, and, tearing it in pieces, gave a portion to 
each of the circle ; and thus supplied, away we all 
started to put into practice this new suggestion of our 
director-general of mischief. 

The row which ensued in the pig-sty was prodigious, 
for in those days hogs were allowed a place on board 
a man-of-war, — a custom most wisely abolished of late 
years, since nothing can be more out of character 
with any ship than such nuisances. As these matters 
of taste and cleanliness were nothing to us, we inter- 
mitted not our noisy labor till every one of the grunters 
wore his armlet of such crape as we had been able to 
muster ; then, watching our opportunity, we opened the 
door and let out the whole herd of swine on the main 
deck, just at the moment when a group of the officers 
were standing on the forepart of the quarter-deck. Of 
course, the liberated pigs, delighted with their freedom, 
passed in review under the very nose of our superiors, 
each with his mourning knot displayed, grunting or 
squealing along, as if it was their express object to 
attract attention to their domestic sorrow for the loss 
of Shakings. The officers now became excessively 
provoked, for they could not help seeing that these 
proceedings were affording entertainment, at their ex- 
pense, to the whole crew. The men, of course, took 
no part in this touch of insubordination, but they (like 
the middies) were ready enough, in those idle times of 



172 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

the weary, weary peace, to catch at any species of dis- 
traction or deviltry, no matter what, to compensate for 
the loss of their wonted occupation of pommelling their 
enemies. 

The matter,*therefore, as a point of discipline, neces- 
sarily became rather serious ; and the whole gang of 
young culprits being sent for on the quarter-deck, we 
were ranged in a line, each with his toes at the end 
of the plank, according to the orthodox fashion of 
these gregarious scoldings, technically called " toe-the- 
line matches." We were then given to understand that 
our proceedings were impertinent, and, after the orders 
we had received, highly offensive. It was with much 
difficulty that either party could keep their counte- 
nances during this official lecture, for, while it was 
going on, the sailors were endeavoring, by the direc- 
tion of the officers, to remove the bits of silk from the 
legs of the pigs. If, however, it be difficult, as most 
difficult we found it, to put a hog into mourning, it -is a 
job ten times more troublesome to take him out again. 
Such, at least, is the fair inference from these two exper- 
iments, the only ones perhaps on record ; for it cost 
half the morning to undo what we had effected in less 
than an hour, to say nothing of the unceasing and out- 
rageous uproar which took place along the decks, espe- 
cially under the guns, and even under the coppers, for- 
ward in the galley, where two or three of the youngest 
pigs had wedged themselves, apparently resolved to die 
rather than submit to the degradation of being deprived 
of their sable badges. 

All this was very creditable to the memory of poor 
Shakings ; but, in the course of the day, the real secret 
of this extraordinary difficulty of taking a pig out of 
mourning was discovered. Two of the mids were de- 
tected in the very fact of tying on a bit of black bunting 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 173 

to the leg of a sow, from which the seamen declared 
they had already cut off crape and silk enough to have 
made her a complete suit of black. 

On these fresh offences being reported, the whole 
party of us were ordered to the masthead as a punish- 
ment. Some were sent to sit on the topmast cross-trees, 
some on the topgallant yard-arms, and one small gen- 
tleman, being perched at the jibboom end, was very 
properly balanced abaft by another little culprit at the 
extremity of the gaff. In this predicament we were 
hung out to dry for six or eight hours, as old Daddy 
remarked to us with a grin, when we were called down 
as the night fell. 

Our persevering friend, being rather provoked at the 
punishment of his young flock, set seriously to work to 
discover the real fate of Shakings. It soon occurred to 
him that if the dog had indeed been made away with, 
as he shrewdly suspected, the ship's butcher, in all prob- 
ability, must have had a hand in his murder • accord- 
ingly he sent for the man in the evening, when the 
following dialogue took place : — 

"Well, Butcher, will you have a glass of grog to- 
night?" 

" Thank you, sir, thank you. Here 's your honor's 
health ! " said the other, after smoothing down his hair 
and pulling an immense quid of tobacco out of his 
mouth. 

Old Daddy observed the peculiar relish with which 
the rogue took his glass, and, mixing another a good 
deal more potent, placed it before the fellow. He then 
continued the conversation in these words : — 

" I tell you what it is, Mr. Butcher, you are as humane 
a man as any in the ship, Idare say ; but if required, 
you know well that you must do your duty, whether it is 
upon sheep or hogs." 



174 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" Surely, sir." 

" Or upon dogs either ? " suddenly asked the in- 
quisitor. 

" I don't know about that," stammered the butcher, 
quite taken by surprise, and thrown all aback. 

" Well, well," said Daddy, " here 's another glass for 
you, — a stiff northwester. Come! tell us all about it, 
now. How did you get rid of the dog ? Of Shakings, 
I mean ? " 

"Why, sir," said the preaching scoundrel, "I put him 
in a bag, — a bread-bag, sir." 

" Well," what then ? 

" I tied up the mouth, and put him overboard, out of 
the midship lower deck port, sir." 

" Yes, but he would not sink ? " said Daddy. 

" Oh, sir ! " cried the fellow, now entering fully into 
the merciless spirit of his trade, " I put a twenty-four 
pound shot into the bag along with Shakings." 

" Did you ? Then, Master Butcher, all I can say is, 
you are as precious a rascal as ever went about un- 
hanged. There, drink your grog and be off with you !" 

Next morning, when the officers were assembled at 
breakfast in the ward-room, the door of the capt.iin of 
marines' cabin was suddenly opened, and that officer, 
half shaved, and laughing through a collar of soap-suds, 
stalked out with a paper in his hand. 

" Here ! " he exclaimed, " is a copy of verses which I 
found just now in my basin. I can't tell how they got 
there or what they are about, but you shall judge." 

So he read aloud the two following stanzas of dog- 
gerel : — 

When the Northern Confederacy threatened our shores, 
And roused Albion's lion, reclining to sleep ; 

Preservation was taken of all the king's stores, 

Not so much as a rope-yarn was launched in the deep. 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 7 $ 

But now it is peace, other hopes are in view, 

And all active service as light as a feather ; 
The stores may be d d, and humanity too, 

For Shakings and shot are thrown o'erboard together ! 

I need hardly say in what quarter of the ship this 
biting morsel of cockpit satire was concocted, nor 
indeed who wrote it, for there was no one but our good 
Daddy who was equal to such a flight. About mid- 
night an urchin, who shall be nameless, was thrust out 
of one of the after-ports of the lower deck, from which 
he clambered up to the marine officer's port, and the 
sash happening to have been lowered down on the gun, 
the epigram, copied by another of the youngsters, was 
pitched into the soldier's basin. 

The wisest thing would have been for the officers to 
have said nothing about the matter, and let it blow by ; 
but, as angry people are seldom judicious, they made a 
formal complaint to the captain, who, to do him justice, 
was not a little puzzled how to settle the affair. The 
reputed author, however, was called up, and the captain 
said to him, — 

" Pray, sir, are you the writer of these lines ? " 

" I am, sir," he replied, after a little consideration. 

" Then all I can say is," remarked the captain, " they 
are clever enough in their way, but take my advice, and 
write no more such verses." 

So the matter ended. The satirist took the captain's 
hint in good part, and confined his pen to topics less 
repugnant to discipline. 

In the course of a few months the war broke out, and 
there was no longer time for such nonsense; indeed 
our generous protector, Daddy, was sent off to Halifax, 
in charge of a prize. His orders were, if possible, to 
rejoin his own ship, the '• Leander," then lying at the 
entrance of New York Harbor, just within Sandy Hook 
lighthouse. 



17^ STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Our good old friend accordingly having completed 
his mission, and delivered up his charge to the author- 
ities at Halifax, took his passage in the British packet 
sailing from thence to the port in which we lay. As 
this ship sailed past us, on the way to the city of New 
York, we ascertained, to our great joy, that our excel- 
lent Daddy was actually on board of her. Some hours 
afterwards the pilot-boat was seen coming to us, and, 
though it was in the middle of the night, all the younger 
mids came hastily on deck to welcome their worthy 
messmate back again to his home. 

It was late in October, and the wind blew fresh from 
the northwestward, so that the ship, riding to the ebb, 
had her head directed towards the Narrows, between 
Staten Island and Long Island ; consequently the 
pilot-boat (one of those beautiful vessels so well known 
to every visitor of the American coast) came flying 
down upon us with the wind nearly right aft. Our 
joyous party were all assembled on the quarter-deck, 
looking anxiously at the boat as she swept past. She 
then luffed round, in order to sheer alongside, at which 
moment the mainsail jibbed, as was to be expected. It 
was obvious, however, that something more had taken 
place than the pilot had anticipated, since the boat, 
instead of ranging up to the gangway, being brought 
right round on her keel, went off upon a wind on the 
other tack. The tide carried her out of sight for a 
few minutes, but she was soon again alongside, when we 
learned, to our inexpressible grief and consternation, 
that on the main-boom of the pilot-boat swinging over, 
it had accidently struck our poor friend, and pitched 
him headlong overboard. Being incumbered with his 
great-coat, the pockets of which, as we afterwards 
heard, were loaded with his young companions' let- 
ters brought from England by this packet, he in vain 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 177 

struggled to catch hold of the boat, and then sunk 
to rise no more. 



CAPTURE AND RECAPTURE. 

Very shortly after our new captain joined the " Lean- 
der," we got ready for sea, and started on the 13th of 
February, 1805, from Bermuda, in company with one 
of the crack frigates of the station ; a ship which had 
always proved herself a better sailor, and had been 
more fortunate in taking prizes than we had been. 
Upon the strength of this good luck, they generally 
held our old ship in the greatest contempt. We were, 
therefore, hardly out of sight of land before she parted 
company, probably on purpose, and from thinking that 
where we were there could be no success. Away we 
dashed, however, alone, and, if I recollect rightly, due 
south from Bermuda. The winds were light, and we 
steered on for upwards of a week, every day adding to 
the genial warmth of the weather, as we hourly raised 
the sun in the heavens and brought new stars within 
our ken, in the bright evenings which form the delight 
of those temperate regions bordering on the Tropic of 
Cancer. Even there, occasional clouds, accompanied 
by a thick haze, block out the sky, and prevent a cruis- 
ing ship from seeing beyond half a mile on any side. 
But well-directed vigilance masters even such untoward 
circumstances as these. What does it not master ? In 
spite of the fog and rain, our new commander relaxed 
nothing of what may be Called the discipline of a cruis- 
ing ship, however thick the weather might be. At 'the 
masthead there was perched a lookout man, with a 
glass in his hand, ready to peer into any of those curi- 
ous openings which, like fairies' avenues, cut across the 
wilderness of mist, for an instant, and straight are 
12 



178 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

closed again. These transient breaks, which are called 
by the sailors " fog dogs " (I know not why), are gen- 
erally considered good symptoms of the weather clear- 
ing. It was about midday of the 24th of February 
that a momentary glimpse of the southern horizon was 
afforded us on the lee-beam, down one of these singular 
vistas. 

" Keep a bright lookout there in the clear ! " cried 
the captain to the man standing on the jacks, a little 
iron cross-trees on which the heel of the royal-mast 
rested, with his arm twisted round the spar, and his 
eye glued to the telescope. 

"Ay, ay, sir!" replied the fellow; and instantly 
afterwards roared out, in a voice that was heard even 
in the lowest depths of the cockpit, "I can see two 
large vessels standing to the eastward ! " 

His words came so fast out of his mouth, that, to a 
stranger's ear, what he said would hardly have been 
intelligible, but to the quick, professional, experienced 
organs of the veteran officer they were addressed to, they 
sounded like the sweetest music, and full of meaning 

" Up with the helm, Mr. Falcon ! " said the captain 
to the officer of the watch : and, catching the bright 
eye of the delighted boatswain, he called out, "Hands 
make sail, Mr. Cedar! Set the stunsails low and aloft; 
shake all the reefs out ! " 

And then, while three hundred pair of well-directed 
hands were busy in spreading sail after sail upon the 
old tub, as she was ironically but fondly called, and the 
foam began to hiss and splash in broad streaks on each 
side of her, the captain again applied to the lookout 
man aloft, and asked, " Where are the two ships now ? " 

" I can't see them, sir ; the fog has filled up the hole 
again through which I saw them only for one moment." 

" Confound the fog ! What did they look like ? " 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 179 

" Very large, sir ; they loomed in the haze like armed 
ships. I think I saw a tier of ports in each of them. 
They are not far off, sir. We shall be close aboard of 
them directly." 

" Beat to quarters ! " was the next order ; for by this 
time, although only a few minutes had elapsed, the 
topsails were at the masthead, and the steering-sails 
smartly run up to the yard-arms, and well stretched out 
to the boom ends, so as not to lose a single puff of the 
breeze, were making the good ship tremble and spank 
along, like an old hunter conscious of the game. There 
was not much to do at the guns, as everything neces- 
sary for action was kept at all times in such a state of 
preparation that the men merely took their places, cast 
loose the tackle-falls and breechings, and were ready to 
have dashed right alongside of an enemy without the 
delay of one minute. This constant readiness for ac- 
tion of every kind, day and night, coupled with that 
matchless dexterity in the manipulations which long 
and unceasing practice alone can give, is in no depart- 
ment of life more decidedly conspicuous than in the 
profession of which I am speaking. At first sight, in- 
deed, the sources of disorder and variety at sea appear 
so numerous, arising out of the state of the weather, the 
very nature of the ship, the particular description of ser- 
vice she is employed upon, the uncertain hours of the 
day or night when the crew may be called upon to act, 
the different characters of the officers, the rude training 
of the sailors, the diversity in climate and country, all 
so liable to be abruptly changed, that one would think 
it almost impossible to bring a body of men so desul- 
tory in their habits as seamen to adapt themselves to 
these rapid fluctuations. Experience shows, however, 
that under a certain well-understood course of training, 
pretty complicated, I grant, even these inconstant ele- 



1 85 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

ments may be turned to the best account towards the 
establishment of a steady system of action, equally ap- 
plicable to all times and to all circumstances. 

In the course of half an hour the fog cleared away 
entirely, and we discovered the chase to be two frigates, 
one totally, and the other partially, dismasted. On our 
coming nearer, the largest of them displayed on her 
jury-mainmast a huge French ensign, then the standard 
of Bonaparte, though once the well-known tricolored 
banner of the Revolution, and the same which is now 
(183 1) again hoisted as the national flag of the French. 
It consisted of three equal portions of blue, white, and 
red, in vertical stripes, the blue being next the staff. 
It is the same as the Dutch flag, only different in posi- 
tion ; the Dutch stripes being horizontal, with the blue 
undermost. 

The smaller ship of the two showed the unpleasant 
signal of capture, the French flag being hoisted over 
the ensign of England ; and we soon recognized in her 
one of our own squadron, the " Cleopatra," a thirty-two 
gun frigate. She had been taken about a week before, 
after a tough action with the " Ville de Milan," a forty- 
four gun frigate of the largest class. What resistance 
the Frenchman might have made to us, had he not pre- 
viously got pretty well peppered by the gay little " Cleo- 
patra," I shall not presume to say ; but, hammered as 
he had been, he did not appear to like our double row 
of teeth, and at once struck, on our firing a shot across 
his forefoot. We had, therefore, only to secure our guns 
again, and be content with a good fat prize, without the 
honor and glory of a scuffle, but with the great addi- 
tional satisfaction of rescuing our countrymen and their 
ship from the hands of their enemy. 

I must say, however, without affectation, that it was 
impossible, even in the midst of our joyous success, not 



THE ENGLISH NA VY. 1 8 1 

to feel for the mortification of our enemies. They had 
captured, in fair fight, a goodly prize, and were spanking 
away with her to France, when pop we came upon them, 
and not only robbed them of their prey, but lugged 
them off to prison, and there shut them up for eight or 
ten long years, like criminals. Yet the only crime of 
these brave men was that of being ill commanded, or, 
to speak less enigmatically, their misfortune was to 
serve a hard-hearted master, whose stern policy it had 
become seriously to alter the aspect of modern war- 
fare amongst civilized nations, by throwing every obsta- 
cle in the way of an exchange of prisoners. The effect 
was to expose many of his most deserving subjects, 
men of honor and high character, indiscriminately with 
those of lower pretensions, to some of the severest of 
the penalties due only to crime ; the shabby excuse, 
totally unworthy of such a man, being, that he subjected 
a certain number of his enemies to a similar course of 
suffering, while the inevitable effect was to deepen and 
embitter all the horrors of war, not only in the case of 
his foes, but on the heads of those very persons, his 
countrymen, who were the most deserving of favor at 
his hands. 

A LONG CHASE. 

In the course of the afternoon we perceived from the 
masthead, far astern, a dark line along the horizon, 
which some of our most experienced hands pronounced 
the first trace of a breeze coming up. In the course 
of half an hour this line had widened so much that it 
could easily be perceived from the deck. Upon seeing 
this the whistlers redoubled their efforts, and whether, 
as they pretended, it was owing to their interest with 
the clerk of the weather office, or whether the wind, if 



I 82 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

left alone, would have come just as soon, I do not ven- 
ture to pronounce; but, certain it is, that long before 
sunset our hearts were rejoiced by the sight of those 
numerous flying patches of wind scattered over the 
calm surface of the sea, and called by seamen " cat's- 
paws," I presume from the stealthy, timorous manner 
in which they seem to touch the water, and straightway 
vanish again. By and by the true wind, the ripple 
from which had marked the horizon astern of us and 
broken the face of the mirror shining brightly every- 
where else, indicated its approach by fanning out the 
sky-sails and other flying kites, generally supposed to 
be superfluous, but which, upon such occasions as this, 
do good service by catching the first breath of air, that 
seems always to float far above the water. One by one 
the sails were filled; and, as the ship gathered way, 
every person marked the glistening eye of the helms- 
man when he felt the spokes of the wheel pressing 
against his hand by the action of the water on the 
rudder. The fire-engine had been carried into the 
tops, and, where its long spouts could not reach, buck- 
ets of water were drawn up and thrown on the sails, 
so that every pore was filled, and the full effect of the 
wind was exerted on the canvas. 

The ship now began to speak, as it is termed ; and 
on looking over the gangway we could see a line of 
small hissing bubbles, not yet deserving the name of 
spray, but quite enough to prove to us that the breeze 
was beginning to tell. It was near the middle of 
November, but the day was as hot as if it had been 
summer, and the wind, now freshening at every second, 
blew coolly and gratefully upon us, giving assurance 
that we should have no more calms to trouble us, what- 
ever might be our other difficulties in catching Monsieur 
Frenchman. 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 83 

Of these difficulties, the greatest by far was that of 
keeping sight of the brig after it became dark. We 
overhauled him, however, so fast, that we had great 
hopes of getting near enough to be able to command 
him with the night-glasses, in which case we made 
pretty sure of our prize. 

As the twilight, the brief twilight of winter, galloped 
away, a hundred pair of eyes were almost just jumping 
out of their sockets in their attempts to pierce the night, 
while those who had glasses kept scrubbing them without 
mercy, as if they imagined more light would be let into 
the tube the more they injured the lenses. One person, 
and only one, continued, as he asserted, to see the 
chase faintly strung, like a bead, on the horizon. I 
need not say that this sharp-sighted gentleman was 
nailed to his post, and ordered on no account to move 
his head, fatigue or no fatigue. There happened to be 
a single star directly over the spot in which this fortu- 
nate youth was directing his view with as much anxiety 
as Galileo peered into the heavens in search of a new 
planet. This fact being announced, a dozen spy-glasses 
were seen wagging up and down between this directing 
star and that part of the horizon, now almost invisible, 
which lay immediately below it. Many were the doubts 
expressed of the correctness of the first observation, 
and many the tormenting questions put to the observer 
as to which way the brig was standing; what sail she 
had set ; whether we were drawing up with her or not ; 
as if the poor youngster had been placed alongside of 
the vessel. These doubts and fears were put an end 
to, or nearly so, by bidding the boy keep his eye fixed 
on what he took to be the chase, and then, without 
acquainting him with the change, altering the ship's 
course for half a minute. The experiment had scarcely 



184 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

been commenced before he cried out, " I have lost sight 
of her this very moment. I saw her but an instant 
ago ! " And when the ship's head was brought back 
to the original course, he exclaimed, "There she is 
again, by jingo ! just to the right of the star." 

This star served another useful purpose at the same 
time. The man at the wheel could see it shining be- 
tween the leech of the foretop-sail and that of the top- 
mast studding-sail, and was thus enabled to steer the 
ship with much greater steadiness than he could possi- 
bly have done by the compass alone. Before midnight, 
as the breeze had freshened greatly, and we were going 
at the rate of nine knots an hour, we had drawn up so 
much with the privateer, that every one could see her 
with the naked eye ; and the gunner, with his mates 
and the marksmen, who had lost their credit on the pre- 
ceding night, were fidgeting and fussing about the guns, 
eager to be banging away again at the prize, as they 
now began, rather prematurely, to call her, little knowing 
what a dexterous, perservering, and gallant little fellow 
they had to deal with, and how much trouble he was 
yet to give us. 

It was not till about two o'clock that we once more 
came within good shot of him ; and as it had been al- 
leged that the guns were fired too quickly the night be- 
fore, and without sufficient care in pointing, the utmost 
attention was now paid to laying them properly; and 
the lanyard of the trigger never pulled, till the person 
looking along the gun felt confident of his aim. The 
brig, however, appeared to possess the same witch-like, 
invulnerable quality as ever ; for we could neither strike 
her hull, so as to force her to cry "peccavi," nor bring 
down a yard, nor top off a mast or a boom. It was 
really a curious spectacle to see a little bit of a thing 
skimming away before the wind, with such a huge raon- 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. I §5 

ster as the "Endymion" tearing and plunging after her, 
like a voracious dolphin leaping from sea to sea in pur- 
suit of a flying-fish. 

In time this must have ended in the destruction of 
the brig ; for as we gained upon her rapidly, some of our 
shot must by and by have taken effect, and sent her to 
the bottom. She was destined, however, to enjoy a lit- 
tle longer existence. The proper plan, perhaps, would 
have been to stand on, firing at her sails, till we had 
reached within musket-shot, and then to have knocked 
down the helmsman, and every one else on her deck. 
This, however, was not our captain's plan, or probably 
he became impatient ; at all events, he gave orders for 
the whole starboard broadside to be got ready ; and 
then, giving the ship a yaw, poured the whole dis- 
charge, as he thought, right into his wretched victim ! 

Not a mortal on board the frigate expected ever to 
look on the poor brig again. What, then, was our sur- 
prise, when the smoke blew swiftly past, to see the in- 
trepid little cocky gliding away more merrily than be- 
fore. As far as good discipline would allow, there was 
a general murmur of applause at the Frenchman's gal- 
lantry. In the next instant, however, this sound was 
converted into hearty laughter over the frigate's decks, 
when, in answer to our thundering broadside, a single 
small gun, a six-pounder, was fired from the brig's 
stern, as if in contempt of his formidable antagonist's 
prowess. 

Instead of gaining by our manoeuvre, we had lost a 
good deal, and in two ways : in the first place, by 
yawing out of our course we enabled the privateer to 
gain several hundred yards upon us ; and secondly, his 
funny little shot, which had excited so much mirth, 
passed through the lee fore top-sail yard-arm about six 
feet inside the boom iron. Had it struck on the wind- 



1 86 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

ward side, where the yard was cracking and straining 
at a most furious rate, the greater part of the sails on 
the foremast might have been taken in quicker than we 
could have wished, for we were now going at the rate of 
eleven and a half, with the wind on the quarter. 

Just as we made out where his first shot had struck 
us, another cut through the weather main top-gallant 
sheet ; and so he went on, firing away briskly, till most 
of our lofty sails were fluttering with the holes made in 
them. His own sails, I need scarcely add, were by this 
time so completely torn up by our shot, that we could 
see the sky though them all \ but he still refused to 
heave to, and, by constantly firing his single stern- 
chaser, was evidently resolved to lose no possible 
chance of escape. Had one or two of his shot struck 
either of our topmasts, I really believe he might have 
got off. It therefore became absolutely necessary that 
we should either demolish or capture him without fur- 
ther loss of time. The choice was left to himself, as 
will be seen. But such a spirited cruiser as this was 
an enemy worth subduing at any cost ; for there was 
no calculating the mischief a privateer so admirably 
commanded might have wrought in a convoy. There 
was a degree of discretion, also, about this expert 
privateersman, which was very remarkable, and deserv- 
ing of such favor at our hands as we had to spare. 
He took care to direct his stern-chaser so high that 
there was little chance of his shot striking any of our 
people. Indeed, he" evidently aimed solely at crippling 
the masts, knowing right well that it would answer none 
of his ends to kill or wound any number of his enemy's 
crew, while it might irritate their captain to show him 
less mercy at the last moment, which, as will be seen, 
was fast approaching. 

The breeze had now freshened nearly to a gale of 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 87 

wind, and when the log was hove, out of curiosity, just 
after the broadside I have described, we were going 
nearly twelve knots (or between thirteen and fourteen 
miles an hour), foaming and splashing along. The dis- 
tance between us and the brig was now rapidly decreas- 
ing, for most of his sails were in shreds, and we deter- 
mined to bring him, as we said, to his senses at last. 
The guns were reloaded, and orders given to depress 
them as much as possible ; that is, to point their muzzles 
downwards, but not a shot was to be fired till the frigate 
came actually alongside of the chase. Such was the 
poor privateer's sentence of death; severe indeed, but 
quite necessary, for he appeared resolved never to yield. 

At all events, we were resolved to make him surren- 
der, or run him down \ such was our duty, and that 
the Frenchman knew right well. He waited, however, 
until our flying jib-boom end was almost over his taflrail, 
and that the narrow space between us was filled with a 
confused boiling heap of foam, partly caused by his bows, 
and partly by ours. Then, and not till then, when he 
must have seen into our ports and along our deck, 
which were lighted up fore and aft, he first gave signal 
of surrender. 

The manner in which this was done by the captain of 
the privateer was as spirited and characteristic as any 
part of his previous conduct. The night was very dark, 
but the ships were so near to one another that we could 
distinguish the tall figure of a man^mounting the weather 
main rigging of the brig, where he stood erect, with a 
lantern in his hands held out at right angles from his 
body. Had this light not been seen, or its purpose not 
understood, or had it been delayed for twenty seconds 
longer, the frigate must, almost in spite of herself, have 
gone right over him, and the salvo of a double-shotted 



ISS STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

broadside would have done the last and fitting business 
over the Frenchman's grave. 

Even as it was, it cost us some trouble to avoid run- 
ning him down ; for although the helm was put over ime- 
mediately, our lee quarter, as the ship flew up in the 
wind, almost grazed his weather gangway. In passing we 
ordered him to bring-to likewise. This he did as soon 
as we gave him room ; though we were still close enough 
to see the effect of such a manoeuvre at such a moment. 
Every stitch of sail he had was blown, in one moment, 
clear out of the bolt-ropes. His halyards, tacks, and 
sheets had been all racked aloft, so that everything not 
made of canvas remained in its place ; the yards at the 
mastheads, and the booms rigged out, while the empty- 
leech and foot ropes hung down in festoons, where, but 
a minute before, the tattered sails had been spread. 

We fared, comparatively speaking, not much better. 
. . . The gale increased before morning to such a pitch 
that, as there was still a doubt if any boat could live, the 
intention of boarding our prize was of course further 
delayed. But we took care to keep close to her, a little 
to windward, in order to watch her proceedings as 
closely as possible. It did not escape our notice in the 
mean time, that our friend (for he was no longer our 
foe, though not yet our prisoner) went on quietly 
even in the height of the gale, shifting his wounded 
yards, reeving new ropes, and bending fresh sails. This 
caused us to redouble our vigilance during the morning, 
and the event showed we had good need for such 
watchfulness. About three o'clock in the afternoon, the 
brig having fallen a little to leeward, and a furious squall 
of wind and rain coming on at the same moment, she 
suddenly bore up and set off once more right before the 
wind. At the height of the squall we totally lost sight 
of our prize, and such a hubbub I hardly recollect to 
have heard in my life before. 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 1 89 

" Where is she ? Who was looking out ? Where did 
you see her last ? " and a hundred similar questions, 
reproaches, scolds, and the whole of the ugly family of 
oaths were poured out in abundance ; some on the 
privateer whose adroitness had thus overreached our 
vigilance, some upon those who, by their neglect, had 
given him the opportunity • and many imprecations were 
uttered merely to express the depth of anger and disap- 
pointment at this stupid loss of a good thing, which had 
cost so much trouble to catch. All this passed over in 
the first burst ; sail was made at once, the topsails close 
reefed were sheeted home like lightning, and off we 
dashed into the thick of the squall, in search of our 
lost treasure. At each masthead and at every yard- 
arm there was planted a lookout man, while the fore- 
castle hammock-netting was filled with volunteer spy- 
glasses. For about a quarter of an hour, a dead si- 
lence reigned over the whole ship, during which anxious 
interval every eye was strained to the utmost, for no one 
knew exactly where to look. There was indeed no cer- 
tainty of our not actually running past the privateer, and 
it would not have surprised us much, when the squall 
cleared up, had we seen him a mile or two to windward 
far beyond our reach. These fears were put an end 
to by the sharp-eyed captain of the foretop, who had 
perched himself on the jib-boom end, calling out with 
a voice of the greatest glee, — 

" There he goes, there he goes right ahead, under his 
topsails and foresails ! " 

And, sure enough, there we saw him springing along 
from wave to wave, with his masts bending forward like 
reeds, under the pressure of sail enough to have laid him 
on his beam ends had he broached to. In such tempes- 
tuous weather a small vessel has no chance whatever 
with a frigate ; indeed, we could observe that when the 



190 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

little brig fell between two high seas, her foresail 
flapped to the mast, fairly becalmed by the wave behind 
her. 

In a very few minutes we were again alongside, and 
doubtless the Frenchman thought we were at last going 
to execute summary vengeance upon him for his treach- 
ery, as we called it. Nothing daunted, however, by the 
style in which we bore down upon him, the gallant com- 
mander of this pretty little eggshell of a vessel placed 
himself on the weather-quarter, and with a speaking- 
trumpet in his hand, indicated by gesticulations a wish 
to be heard. This could not well be refused ; and we 
steered as close as we could pass along, without bring- 
ing the two vessels in contact or risking the entangle- 
ment of the yards when we rolled towards one another. 

" I have been compelled to bear up," he called out in 
French, " otherwise the brig must have gone to the bot- 
tom. The sea broke over us in such a way that I have 
been obliged, as you may perceive, to throw all my 
guns, boats, and spars overboard. We have now sev- 
eral feet of water in the hold, in consequence of your 
shot, — which, you may likewise observe, have nearly 
destroyed our upper works. If, therefore, you oblige 
me to heave to, I cannot keep the vessel afloat one 
hour in such weather." 

" Will you make no further attempt to escape ? " asked 
the captain of the " Endymion." 

" As yet I have made none," he replied firmly. " I 
struck to you already. I am your prize, and, feeling as 
a man of honor, I do not consider myself at liberty to 
escape, even if I had the power. I bore up when the 
squall came on as a matter of necessity ; if you will 
allow me to run before the wind along with you till the 
weather moderates, you may take possession of the brig 
when you please. If not, I must go to the bottom." 



THE ENGLISH NAVY. 191 

Such was the substance of a conversation very diffi- 
cult to keep up across the tempest, which was now 
whistling at a great rate. To have brought the ships 
again to the wind, after what had been said, would have 
been to imitate the celebrated Noyades of Nantes, for 
the privateer must have been swamped instantly. 
Therefore, although we grievously distrusted our com- 
panion, we sailed along most lovingly together, as if we 
had been the best possible friends, for about sixty or 
seventy miles. During the greater part of this interval, 
the frigate had scarcely any sail set at all, and we some- 
times expected to see our little friend pop fairly under 
the water, and so elude us by foundering, or escape by 
witchcraft, by the protection of which, in the opinion of 
the Johnnies, he had been so long kept from us. At 
eight o'clock in the evening it began to moderate, and 
by midnight we succeeded in getting a boat on board the 
prize, after a run of between three and four hundred 
miles. Such is the scale of nautical sport. And where 
now, I beg to ask, is there fox hunting or anything else 
more exciting than this noble game ? 



XI. 
PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 

I THINK it was because the girls said there had been 
quite too much of this righting, and that it was a 
shame that all stories of the sea should be the stories 
of buccaneering and butchering, that Col. Ingham told 
them all to look up the " History of Pitcairn's Island." 
It is more fascinating than most romances, and more 
romantic and improbable than any. It begins with 
piracy, slave-holding, and battle, and ends with perfect 
peace. And of this change the only account that can 
be given is that human nature, though not at its best, 
and one copy of the English Bible, were put together in 
a lonely island, and permitted to work out their own 
way for twenty years. 

" Which of you know where is the Terrestrial Para- 
dise ? " said Uncle Fritz. 

Nobody answered at first, but then Laura, who is 
always modest, said that Dante thought it was just 
opposite Jerusalem, and that Columbus went to look 
for it there. "We found it," said she, "in one of 
Columbus's letters to Ferdinand and Isabella." 

" Very good," said the colonel, well pleased ; for this 
is one of his hobbies. " Now will one or two of you go 
to the globe, and see where that spot will come out in 
the South Seas ? " 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 193 

Will Withers and two of the girls went and brought 
the terrestrial globe with them. 

"Jerusalem is in north latitude 31 46', east longitude 
35 13'." Will had his pencil on the opposite point in 
the Pacific. 

" What is the nearest land ? " said the colonel. 

" Why, yes," said Will, a little awe-struck, " it is Pit- 
cairn's Island." 

" Remember that," said the colonel, laughing, " as 
an aid to memory, that Pitcairn's Island is the nearest 
approach to the Terrestrial Paradise which men have 
yet succeeded in making. Pitcairn's Island was discov- 
ered by Capt. Carteret, or rather it was discovered by 
an officer of his fleet named Pitcairn, after whom he 
named it. And, by the way, this Pitcairn was the uncle 
of our Major Pitcairn, who began the American Revo- 
lution at Lexington, who was killed at Bunker Hill, and 
was or was not buried under Christ's Church. You will 
find an account of Philip Carteret's discovery in Hawks- 
worth's voyages." 

Emma.Fortinbras, half under her breath, sang, — 

" Lucy Locket lost her pocket 
In a rainy shower ; 
Philip Carteret, he ran after it, 
And found it in an hour." 

And she asked if this Philip Carteret was that Philip 
Carteret. 

The colonel was not in the least shocked by the 
interruption, but praised her for remembering. " I 
wish I knew," said he, " and it is worth looking up. But 
I think not. I think that Philip Carteret was governor 
of New Jersey at the very time when this Philip Car- 
teret was in the South Seas naming our Pitcairn's 
Island. 

13 



194 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" Pitcairn's Island," he went on, "was left a desert 
till the mutineers of the 'Bounty' ran their vessel 
ashore there in 1789. If you want to know about the 
1 Bounty,' and her cruel captain, read Bligh's ' Voyage 
of the Bounty.' Nothing was heard of the mutineers 
for twenty years. Then it happened that one day 
Capt. Folger, of Nantucket, — yes, Sybil, he was your 
grandfather's cousin, and was Ben Franklin's cousin, 
somehow, too, — when he was on a sealing voyage, 
stopped at the island, thinking it uninhabited. To his 
surprise a canoe came out, and the men in it hailed 
him in English. This was the first of a series of visits, 
running through fifty years, which gave the rest of the 
world the knowledge of one of the simplest and happi- 
est communities which have ever been known. You 
will find on the shelves there Lady Belcher's pretty book 
That brings the story down to 1870. And, Bob, bring 
that book next to it ; that is Schillibeer's account of the 
Briton's voyage, a few years after Capt. Folger discov- 
ered the islanders. 

" The poor people were sadly afraid, at first, that they 
should be punished for the sins of their grandfathers . 
But Bligh had in the mean while proved himself the 
worst sort of a tyrant, as governor of New South Wales. 
A little before Folger's narrative came to England, 
Bligh came there himself, under arrest, having been sent 
home, disgraced, by his own colleagues. The English 
have always shown a sentimental interest in the island- 
ers. They have always had good friends in England, 
foremost among whom is this Lady Diana Belcher, the 
wife of Admiral Belcher. In one fit of misguided sen- 
timent the English government sent them all to Norfolk 
Island, and you will find an account of that emigration 
in Lady Belcher's book." 

This was enough to set all the young people on Pit- 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 195 

cairn's Island, and when they came out to Lady Oliver's 
parlor the next week, they were full of it. After they 
had read from their various note-books, the colonel 
opened a drawer in the curiosity case, and said, " And 
now I will show what none of you have found, and 
what I think is the most curious of all. Miss Cobb 
has been kind enough to lend me this journal of Capt. 
Knowles, — one of those brave, intelligent, and modest 
Cape Cod sailors who carry our good name to every 
land. This is only five-and-twenty years ago, and I be- 
lieve Capt. Knowles is still living. See what he had 
to go through with, and see what it is, boys, to be a 
thorough-bred seaman." 

Capt. Knowles's journal made the reading for that 
afternoon. 



WRECK OF THE "WILD WAVE. 

THE CRUSOES OF PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. THE DIARY OF 
CAPT. JOSIAH N. KNOWLES. 

On Tuesday, Feb. 9, 1858, I sailed from San Fran- 
cisco in the ship "Wild Wave," a fine clipper of 1,500 
tons, with a crew of thirty, all told, and ten passengers. 
It was a beautiful morning, and the wind fair from the 
Golden Gate, — an event quite unusual. We were 
accompanied outside by a number of friends, who, on 
leaving, wished us Godspeed and a pleasant voyage. 
Nothing of note transpired during the day, and the 
same may be said of several days succeeding. 

On Wednesday, the 17th, at dark, the ship going at 
the rate of twelve knots per hour, we were startled by the 
cry, " Man overboard ! " Owing to our great speed, we 
were unable to get the ship around in time to save the 
man, though we saw him several times when struggling 



I96 STORIES TOlD BY SAILORS. 

in the water. From this date until March 5, our voy- 
age was not at all eventful. On the above-mentioned 
day, at 1 a. m., the ship at the time going at the rate 
of thirteen knots per hour, to our great astonishment 
and alarm the lookout reported " breakers under the 
lee," So close was our proximity to the rocks, and so 
great our speed, that it was impossible to avoid running 
upon them, and in less than five minutes the good ship 
was on a coral reef, full of water, and the sea breaking 
all over her. Our first thought was to save ourselves 
and our provisions, though it seemed, at times, as though 
to do either were impossible. Our masts were snapping 
and cracking at a fearful rate, and the copper from the 
bottom of the ship flying off in whole sheets, and falling 
on deck with a great crash. Our situation was truly one 
of great peril, we being in great danger of serious injury 
from falling spars and sheets of flying copper. The 
excitement among the passengers and crew was intense. 
They came rushing to me, seeming to think that I could 
save or assist them at once. It being very dark, we 
were unable to determine whether we were near land or 
on a lone rock, but at daybreak we discovered that we 
were on the coral reef of Oeno Island, a low strip of 
sand about half a mile in circumference, covered with a 
scanty growth of shrubbery, and surrounded, at a dis- 
tance of about two miles, by coral reefs. We first set 
about devising means for landing, the sea having gone 
down and the ship having worked higher up on the reef. 
Our first fear was that the island was inhabited by 
cannibals, as were many of the neighboring islands, 
but upon close inspection we found that our source of 
alarm was groundless. I sent my first officer, Mr. Bart- 
lett, ashore, with five men, having a shovel, with which 
to dig in search of water, that being our first care, as 
we wished to save all that was on board the ship. In a 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 197 

short time Mr. Bartlett returned, having found water, 
which, though brackish, was drinkable, but no signs of 
inhabitants. We immediately set about securing our 
provisions, fearing the ship might break up, in which 
case we should lose all. Occupied all day boating pro- 
visions ashore, though at great risk of swamping our 
boat in the heavy surf. Took ashore sails with which 
to make tents, having part of the crew at work build- 
ing them. By sunset all were landed, and nearly all 
our stores. I left the ship in the last boat, the surf, at 
the time, being very high, and rising. Soon after leav- 
ing a heavy roller caught us, and, receding, left us on 
a coral reef, staving a hole in the boat. Fortunately 
the coral broke off and remained in the side of the 
boat, keeping the water out, which would otherwise 
have filled the boat. We finally landed, and found two 
tents had been built, — one for the officers and passen- 
gers, the other for the sailors. My feelings, as I looked 
off to the ship, were of the saddest character. There 
lay my fine ship of yesterday, now a useless wreck. 
Cast away upon a desolate island, my only chance of 
rescue being in the possibility of attracting the at- 
tention of some passing vessel, or taking to the boats 
in the attempt to reach some inhabited land. I will 
not attempt to describe to you my feelings as I thought 
of home and friends, for words would fail me to express 
what I felt when thinking of the long months of painful 
suspense that my friends must surfer, unless tidings of us 
reached home. The steward, in the mean time, had been 
busy, and soon placed supper before us. It was truly 
a cheerless meal. I passed the night in sleepless anx- 
iety as to our probable fate, while the continual roar of 
the surf seemed to remind me constantly of our utter 
desolation. Our beds were laid on boxes and barrels 
from the ship ; but had any of us been disposed to sleep, 



I9 8 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

the vigorous attacks of the land-crabs and rats would 
have prevented it. You may think it very strange that 
I found rats on this desert island. On landing I saw 
some spars and other wrecked stuff, and concluded that 
at some previous time some other ship had met the fate 
of ours, and, as far as we knew, the rats were sole sur- 
vivors. It was providential that the ship struck where 
she did, on the smoothest part of the reef. Had it 
been at another point I fear these details would never 
have been written. 

On the morning of the next day the ship lay as on 
the day before, though we feared she would break up. 
I took a walk around the island and found it a dreary 
waste of sand, with hardly enough vegetation to deserve 
the name. Found plenty of water, sea-birds' eggs, and 
fish. We were, therefore, in no danger of starvation, 
with these and our provisions from the ship. The sea- 
birds seemed to regard us as intruders, and would 
attack us as we attempted to take their eggs away. I 
sent the boats to the ship to bring off more provisions, 
and our live stock, consisting of sheep, pigs, and fowls, 
which were turned loose, as they would always be within 
reach. I took observations to-day and found that this 
island is twenty miles out of the way, as laid down on 
my chart. After consultation with Mr. Bartlett, my 
first officer, as to the chances of our being taken 
off, I finally concluded to make my way to Pitcairn's 
Island, lying eighty miles south. This would double 
our chances of being rescued, as I thought, knowing 
that whalers often touched there for supplies. We 
immediately set about rigging a boat in which to start 
off as soon as the surf would enable us to cross the 
reef. 

Sunday, March 7 — Blowing hard from the north, 
with much rain, thunder, and lightning. Everything 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 199 

seemed combined to make us miserable both in body 
and mind. The men busied themselves to-day in lay- 
ing out a vegetable garden, but I regarded it as labor 
thrown away. 

Monday, March 8. — Weather like that of yester- 
day, though we had more rain, and were obliged to 
remain in 'the tents nearly all day. Could not reach 
the ship on account of the heavy surf. Finished work 
on our boat, and were all ready to start for Pitcairn's 
Island. Caught and cooked a number of birds, making 
a very palatable stew for all hands. The sailors had 
been very quiet and orderly, much to my gratification. 

Tuesday, March 9. — Blustering day, with rain, 
thunder, and lightning. Sea higher than ever, at times 
completely burying the ship, which is truly a forlorn- 
looking object. Her spars nearly all gone, sails hang- 
ing in tatters from those that remain, I feared she 
would go to pieces ; but, to my great joy and surprise, 
she held together. I had many things on board to 
remove, and I could only hope she would hold till they 
were landed. I could get but little sleep, owing to the 
attacks of land-crabs. These torments crawl around 
in a large conch-shell, and often in a cocoanut-shell, to 
which they retreat on being molested. At night they 
crawl under us, and if we attempt to dislodge them 
they will bite deep into the flesh, having claws or nip- 
pers like those of a lobster. During this day caught 
lots of fish and several pearl oysters, one of which will 
make a meal for a number of persons. 

Wednesday, March 10. — Another day of storm 
and heavy sea. The ship remained as yesterday. I 
began to be very impatient to get away, and hoped that 
the next day would afford an opportunity. Everything 
wet through. 

Thursday, March 11. — A pleasant day, but, sad 



2 CO STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

to say, a tremendous surf. We were obliged to stay 
ashore all day, but had the satisfaction of drying our 
clothing. I should say that to-day we pulled around 
the island in search of an opening in the reef, but 
found none except near the ship, where we came in. 
Truly this life is dreary. I cannot divert my mind from 
the one subject, — home and friends. Nothing whatever 
relieves the monotony of the scene. 

Friday, March 12. — Could not reach the ship or 
start off. Dreary and desolate as ever, and nothing 
important to record. 

Saturday, March 13. — A pleasant day, but hot. 
Not much surf on. In the morning I mustered all 
hands on the beach, and selected my boat's crew, con- 
sisting of my mate and five men. At noon, having on 
board all our provisions, we set out for Pitcairn's Island, 
previously leaving instructions with my second officer, 
whom I left in charge, to join me there in four weeks if 
I did not return. I took several setting sea-birds from 
their nests, intending to use them, on my arrival at 
Pitcairn's Island, as bearers of despatches to my men 
left behind on Oeno Island. I knew that, immediately 
on being set free, they would seek their nests. My 
intention was to attach to their necks pieces of leather, 
with any instructions that I thought proper written upon 
them. As we left the beach they gave us three cheers. 
The steward and a boat's crew accompanied us to the 
ship, where I had upwards of $18,000 in gold, which I 
took on board my boat, and at twelve started from the 
ship, watching a favorable opportunity to cross the reef 
in smooth water. We went out in good shape, and at 
once made sail on our frail craft and headed for Pit- 
cairn's Island. A good breeze soon took us out of sight 
of Oeno. We now began to realize the utter helpless- 
ness of our situation. Out on the broad ocean, no land 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 201 

to be seen, and in an open boat, our situation was even 
more desolate than when on the island. Night soon 
overtook us, and with it came rain, thunder, and light- 
ning. The wind rapidly increased, and the sea, having 
risen a good deal, at times nearly filled our boat, oblig- 
ing us to keep hard at work baling. We were finally 
obliged to reduce sail. By the light of a lantern we 
endeavored to steer by our compass, but the motion of 
the boat was so great that it was quite impossible to tell 
whether we steered right or wrong. At daybreak the 
weather moderated and the sea went down a good deal. 
We finally got sight of Pitcairn's Island, distant thirty 
miles. The sight of the island inspired us with hope, 
though it was a very uninviting-looking shore. 

At 10 a. m. the wind increased to a gale, and, blow- 
ing off shore, obliged us to take in sail and pull. We 
were fifteen miles from the island, and the longer we 
pulled the farther the land seemed from us. At times 
the men gave up in despair, and it was only by the 
most vigorous effort on my part, and that of Mr. Bartlett, 
that they could be induced to renew their exertions. 
About 6 p. m. we reached a sheltered place under the 
lee of the island, each one of us being completely used 
up, having pulled eight hours without cessation We 
could find no landing-place, and were obliged to lie on 
our oars for the night. Part of us were permitted to 
lie down and rest, leaving two to look after the boat. 
Having myself done but little manual labor for many 
years, my hands were in such a condition that blood 
ran from my fingers' ends. 

Monday, March 15. — Rowed round the island, but 
could not get in at Bounty Bay, the proper landing- 
place. We finally effected a landing, and removed our 
stores, etc Hauled our boat up as high as possible, 
and started for the settlement over the mountain. This 



202 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

was a laborious tramp, we being obliged to crawl on 
all fours up the almost perpendicular heights, but finally 
reached the houses. To our great astonishment we 
learned that the former residents had all left for Nor- 
folk Island. Notices to that effect were posted in many 
of the houses. Thus we were again on an uninhabited 
island, but our situation here was infinitely preferable 
to that at Oeno. We found fruit in great abundance, 
such as oranges, bananas, cocoanuts, etc. ; also a good 
deal of live stock, sheep, goats, bullocks, and chickens, 
the latter in abundance. We returned to the boat after 
a long and weary tramp, took our supper, consisting of 
preserved meat, crackers, etc. Having had no rest for 
fifty-six hours, we laid down to sleep, Mr. Bartlett and 
I each having under our heads a box of gold coin. 
Mr. Bartlett and I were covered by my oil-skin coat; 
and, though it rained all night in torrents, and streams 
of water flowed over and under us, still we slept 
soundly till morning. During the night I dreamed of 
being restored to home and friends, and on waking 
could hardly realize that it was only a dream, so vividly 
had all the home scenes been presented to my mind. 
I should have stated that, on our arrival off the island, 
we let go the birds which we brought from Oeno. They 
first flew high into the air, then into the water, but soon 
rose again, and after describing a few circles in the air, 
sped away toward their distant home. Truly it was a 
strange and wonderful instinct that taught them which 
way to go, as they had been in a box ever since we left 
Oeno, and had not seen daylight even. 

Tuesday, March 16. — A pleasant day", but so heavy 
surf that we were unable to get our boat around to 
Bounty Bay. I expected she would be stove where she 
was, but we hauled her up as high as possible on the 
rocks, and could only trust to fortune for her safety. I 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 203 

laid on the beach nearly all cay, my men being in the 
mountains in search of fruit. I felt very lame and 
stiff, and could hardly walk, but my mental trouble was 
much greater than my physical. Our living consisted 
mostly of fruit, though we had some bread and pre- 
served meats. We were obliged to carry all our stores 
from the boat over the mountain to our house, and with 
much hard labor We kept on hoping that the surf 
would go down and enable us to land all our stores at 
the bay. Slept on the rocks, and used our boat-sail for 
a shelter. 

Wednesday, March 18. — Raining. Put all our 
things in the boat and made ready to pull around to 
Bounty Bay ; but after all our labor had to land them 
again, owing, as usual, to a heavy surf. Hauled the 
boat as high as possible, and started for " town," as we 
called it. Cleared out a house to live in, and looked 
about for cooking utensils. Caught several chickens 
by running them down, and, having found an old pot, 
made a good stew. This was our first hot meal since 
leaving Oeno. Mr. Bartlett and one man went off to the 
boat this morning, — Mr. Bartlett to sleep on my gold. 
I remained at the house with the men. These houses 
have berths like those of a ship, which are rilled with 
dried leaves, making a rough bed, but more comfortable 
than bare rocks. My feelings to-day are anything but 
pleasant. Had to spend the evening in darkness, hav- 
ing no lights. It was gloomy and dreary enough. 

Thursday, March 18. — Clear and pleasant. Sent 
the men on to assist Mr. Bartlett. Stayed at home and 
made a stew. Our cooking apparatus was very rude 
and inconvenient. Our kettle hung upon two forked 
sticks, with the fire blazing under it. Mr. Bartlett 
remained by the boat all day. In the afternoon she 
was stove by the surf, but we hope to patch her up. 



204 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Kept a sharp lookout, as usual, and with the usual 
result ; not a sail to be seen. Gathered up many useful 
things among the houses, — knives, forks, etc. Broiled 
chickens for supper. Our gridiron is a sharp stick, on 
which a fowl is placed and held over coals. 

Friday, March 19. — Clear and pleasant. All hands 
went over to the boat. Mr. Bartlett caught a goat. 
All took a load from the boat, but very little at a 
load, as our road is nearly all the way about perpen- 
dicular. Brought over the gold among other things. 
I had frequent occasion to regret that our steward was 
not with us to look after our food. None of us are 
good cooks, and we get along as we can, without any 
high living or extra good cooking. Tired out at night, 
and glad to go to bed. 

Saturday, March 20. — Clear and warm. Mr. Bart- 
lett took all the men out to set up a signal-staff ; and, 
taking advantage of their absence, I took the gold and 
buried it under a flat rock on the beach. Mr. Bartlett 
went to the boat in the afternoon and brought back my 
chronometer and compass. Occupied the time in clear- 
ing up and looking over my wardrobe. Went hunting 
and saw cattle, but too shy to get near to. Sat out- 
doors in the evening, in conversation with Mr. Bartlett 
regarding our future movements and home matters. 
That word "home" is a great source of anxiety to me. 

Sunday,. March 21. — Washed clothes in the fore- 
noon. During the day found squashes and pumpkins. 
We seem to be blessed with an abundance of vegeta- 
ble food of the best kind. Looking for a sail to-day, 
but in vain. 

Monday, 22. — Cut down trees in front of our house 
to get an unobstructed view of the sea. Attempted to 
shoot goats with my pistol, but was unsuccessful, to my 
regret, as goats are hard to catch by running down. 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 205 

Found a terrapin to-day. This relieved, in some meas- 
ure, the monotony of our riving. Found a lot of axes 
to-day, and a gun barrel, which we rigged up as well as 
possible under the circumstances ; but it always took two 
men to fire the gun. Having no lock, one of us held 
the gun while another touched it off with a match. Our 
stock of these indispensables was now very low, obliging 
us to use flint, steel, and tinder in making our fires. 

Tuesday, 23. — I went hunting to-day, and was gone 
all day, with fair success. Every day of this strange 
life seemed longer to me, and I earnestly hoped with 
each day that it might be the last of my stay on this 
lonely island. Had I not been in almost daily expecta- 
tion of relief I should long since have started for Tahiti, 
lying fifteen hundred miles northwest from here. 

Wednesday, 24. — Rained hard, and on such days it 
was only with difficulty that we could get about, owing 
to the clayey nature of the soil. Mr. Bartlett and I 
went to our landing-place, intending to repair the boat, 
but, to our surprise, she had been stove, and not a ves- 
tige of her was in sight. We had determined to leave 
the island in her, but this put a damper on our plans in 
that direction. We were left only one chance, — to attract 
the attention of a passing vessel. Our prospect of get- 
ting home remained as gloomy as ever, and thoughts of 
the great anxiety of friends at home was the source of 
great sadness to me. 

Thursday, 25. — Rain kept us at home and enabled 
us to wash our clothes, which were getting ragged. This 
sort of life used them up fast. Found a lot of books, 
including " Jane Eyre," which I read to-day. During 
the afternoon found an aged porker. He must have 
been the grandfather of all the hogs that ever lived on 
this island. I fired at him with the usual result, — hog 
vanished speedily, unharmed. 



206 STORIES 7 OLD BY SAILORS. 

Friday, 26. — Gathered several useful things to-day 
from some of the houses ; among them some tools and 
canvas. Mr. Bartlett went over to the wreck of our 
boat with two men, and brought back the oars, sail, and 
mast. It is three weeks ago to-day since we were 
wrecked on Oeno Island, and it has been to me the 
longest three weeks of my life. 

Saturday, 27. — Generally employed. Our bill of 
fare was goat, goat, goat, which we had eaten nineteen 
times during the week, the monotony being varied only 
by chicken and fruit. Expected the second mate to- 
day. Made a hen-house of a dwelling, and at night 
caught several chickens as they roosted on trees near 
our house. 

Sunday, 28. — Read, walked, and thought of home.. 

Monday, 29. — I thought to-day of building a small 
vessel, and looked about for suitable timber. Found 
some that would answer my purpose. 

Tuesday, 30. — Went up the mountain to-day as 
usual, on the lookout, but with no success. In the af- 
ternoon built an oven, so that we might roast some 
meat. By digging a hole in the ground and lining it 
with stones, and kindling a fire, we have a first-rate hot 
oven. Some of the men to-day made a sugar-press. 

Wednesday, 31. — I dreamed of home last night, and 
my feelings to-day are far from cheerful. I could only 
hope that my dreams might some time be fulfilled, but 
it seemed as though I could not have patience to wait. 

Thursday, April 1 . — We decided to-day to build a 
boat and sail for Tahiti, as we almost despaired of ever 
being found here. Some of our party thought the idea 
was a foolish one, and seemed reluctant to set at work, 
but finally the counsels of myself and Mr. Bartlett pre- 
vailed, and all were agreed. 

Friday, April 2. — Spent the day collecting our 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 20J 

tools and other articles useful to us in boat buildin 



&• 



Our stock of tools was fortunately large. Six axes, two 
hatchets, three planes, two chisels, a hammer and a 
spike gimlet, — enough to build such a vessel as we 
wanted, provided we had plenty of suitable wood. 

Saturday, April 3. — Found a gun-lock, to our great 
gratification. We hoped to be able to shoot some cat- 
tle now that our arms were in tolerably good order. 
The principal thing was to get near enough, which we 
had thus far been unable to do. 

Monday, April 5. — Took an early breakfast. Left 
one man to cook, another to hunt, and the remainder 
started for the woods to hew timber for our boat. Cut 
out a keel, stern and stem post, and some timbers. 

Tuesday, April 6. — On the lookout in the morning, 
with the usual result. All worked on the boat to-day, 
but my hands were so blistered that I could hardly hold 
my axe. 

Thursday, April 8. — Finished cutting timber to-day, 
and begun hewing planks out of logs. Very tedious 
and hard work. Late in the day hauled the timber to 
the beach. Finished getting out our materials except- 
ing the planking. 

Saturday, April 10. — Four weeks to-day since I left 
the ship. I expected my second mate here every day, 
and was very anxious to have him come, as I wanted 
his boat to leave this lonely place. 

Sunday, April n. — Literally a day of rest after a 
week of hard, wearing toil. Spent nearly all day reading. 

Monday, April 12. — One man sick to-day. All the 
rest hard at work. 

Tuesday, April 13. — One man sick, one cooking, 
and one hunting. Our force was small, and accomplished 
less than usual. I could do but little, and got very 
tired. Was very glad to lie down and rest. 



208 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Wednesday, April 14. — Had a smart shower last 
night. The air to-day was very cool, enabling us to work 
very comfortably. 

Friday, April 16. — Cloudy and frequent showers, 
but all hands at work. My hands have hardened to the 
work day by day, and I am now able to swing my axe 
for hours, without inconvenience or pain. 

Saturday, April 17. — Washed clothes as usual, and 
worked on the boat. At 5 p. m. finished a very hard 
week's work. 

Sunday, April 18. — Took an observation to-day. 
Found that Oeno Island is incorrectly laid down on the 
chart. What a host of troubles that blunder of some- 
body's had made for me nobody will ever know. 

Tuesday, April 20. — Had a most familiar dream 
last night. As usual, it carried me home and among 
friends. On the lookout for sails to-day. It seemed as 
though navigators shunned this locality as men would a 
pestilence. 

Wednesday, April 21. — Severe attack of blues 
to-day — as usual — after dreaming of home. In the 
afternoon, owing to the heavy rain, we were forced to 
stop work. Spent the remainder of the day at home, 
variously employed. 

Thursday, April 22. — This day we experienced very 
chilly and cold weather ; the most so of any since our 
arrival. Having taken cold, I was nearly used up by 
a severe rheumatic attack. 

Friday, April 23. — Seventy-five days since I sailed 
from San Francisco. Folks at home by this time, I 
feared, getting anxious, not hearing of my arrival in 
Valparaiso. 

Saturday, April 2 4. — Two of us planing and three 
hewing plank for our boat. Our clothing all but used 
up. We have patched and darned to the last, but it 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 209 

seems that we must soon take to goat-skins, after the 
style of Robinson Crusoe. Our shoes long since gave 
out. We have been barefooted for a long time. We 
accomplished a good deal on the boat during the week, 
but fear that our allotted time for building her is too 
short. 

Sunday, April 25. — Tried to shoot some cattle to- 
day, but, as usual, we could not get near enough to 
them. Lived on goat and chicken, and heartily sick 
and tired of both. Our fruit, which we had in great 
abundance, made up, in a great measure, for many de- 
ficiencies in our bill of fare. 

Monday, April 26 — The longboat had not arrived 
up to this date. I very much feared th#t the boat and 
occupants had met with disaster, supposing that the 
second mate, in compliance with my instructions sent 
by sea-bird post, had left Oeno for this island. Their 
non-arrival gave me great anxiety. Part of the day en- 
gaged on the boat, but, rheumatism having attacked me, 
I was obliged to stop work and remain at home. This 
complaint had troubled me a good deal, and I feared it 
would disable me before we could get away. 

Tuesday, April 27. — To-day the veteran hog pre- 
viously alluded to met his death after a long and severe 
struggle. Some of the party, who were out hunting 
with our improved gun, saw the savage animal on a 
hillside, where, owing to rain, the ground was soft and 
slippery. Whenever we met him he charged upon us 
furiously, and we lost no time in climbing the nearest 
tree. This day, however, his situation was almost one 
of helplessness, as he wallowed about half embedded in 
mud and clay. One of the men was enabled to get 
near enough to shoot the creature just as he had his 
mouth open and was ready for a charge upon us. Af- 
ter quite a battle he gave up, being almost riddled with 

14 



2IO STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

bullets. He was a monstrous fellow, with tusks several 
inches long. He was brought home in triumph, and 
hailed as a welcome addition to our larder. 

Wednesday, April 28. — Cut up and salted our hog. 
We got an abundance of salt from the rocks after a 
heavy surf had been running, leaving a deposit of salt 
water which soon evaporated, leaving a crust of salt 
upon the rocks all around the island. In the evening 
Mr. Bartlett and I held a consultation regarding our 
situation, future movements, and prospects. 

Thursday, April 29. — Finished our planks to-day and 
laid them up against the church to dry. In the after- 
noon laid the keel of our boat and began to set her up, 
though with great inconvenience from the want of tools. 
We hadn't even a single saw, and had to use an axe in- 
stead, thus wasting much lumber and taking much valu- 
able time. 

Saturday, May 1. — Heavy rain in the morning and 
thick clouds all day. I was visited by the blues to-day, 
and felt utterly broken down as I thought of the great 
anxiety and suspense that must exist at home. 

Wednesday, May 5. — The frame of the boat being 
up, we set about planking her, and did a long day's 
work. In the evening picked oakum, having on hand 
scraps of rope picked up here and there. Large pieces 
we unlaid and made into yarns with which to make rig- 
ging for the boat now building. 

Friday, May 7. — Making sails to-day from rags of 
every hue and fabric that we could find — cotton, 
woollen, silk or linen, from heavy canvas to the thinnest 
sheeting. 

Saturday, May 8. — Collected bread-fruit to-day. 
It is about the size of the largest apple, which it some- 
what resembles. The only necessary preparation is 
baking, after which, on removing the outer shell or husk, 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAA'D. 211 

the fruit is ready for the table. It has a taste very much 
like that of new bread. All these fruits are to be had 
only by an expert climber. By this time, after long 
practice and much destruction of clothing, I was quite 
a proficient, and by grasping a cocoanut-tree in my 
hands, could walk up, after the style of a monkey, with 
perfect ease. 

Monday, May 10. — Very cool to-day. After our 
boat building we gathered about a fire built outdoors, 
and picked oakum. I did not think I should ever get 
down to that again, but so it was after all. 

Tuesday, May 1 1. — Finished planking our boat to-day. 

Wednesday, May 12. — On a general hunt for nails, 
or anything of metal that could be made into fastenings 
for the boat. We even burned houses to get nails, but 
hardly got enough then. 

Friday, May 14. — To-day we used up the last of our 
boards, and were obliged to set at work to hew out more. 
This, by the way, is a long and laborious process. We 
had to take a log and hew it down to the thickness of 
one and a quarter inches. Our only tools to do this 
work are axes, but luckily we had planes to smooth the 
plank. Every day some one of us gathered a lot of 
green cocoanuts, the milk of which was almost the only 
thing we had to drink. 

Monday, May 17. — Gradually finishing up the boat. 
We lacked some very necessary things, particularly in 
the way of iron for fastenings, and our progress was thus 
necessarily slow. 

Friday, May 21. — In the church at work picking 
oakum. I don't think that edifice was ever used for 
such a purpose before or since. Mr. Bartlett and a man 
hunting for cattle to-day. As usual, burned much pow- 
der, and made a great racket, but spilled no blood. 

Wednesday, May 26. — My twenty-eighth birthday. 



212 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

On my last I but little expected to be situated as I was 
on this day. I hoped on my next to be at home and 
amongst my friends, who, by this time, I thought, had 
given up all idea of ever hearing from me again. 

Thursday, May 27. — Set fire to a house to-day to 
obtain nails for our boat. The man who started the 
fire, went off and left it in flames. After a time we 
noticed heavy smoke pouring over the hills, and on 
going over to the house found that not only one, but 
four houses had been destroyed. Worst of all, in one 
of them was a quantity of clothing which we could ill 
afford to lose. 

Saturday, May 29. — Devoted the day. to making a 
charcoal-pit. We shall need a good deal of fuel when 
we start off, and it seems to me that charcoal is the 
most convenient we could carry. Our stock of gun- 
powder run very low, but in hunting around found 
nearly a keg of it, but in one solid lump. This, after 
being dried and crushed, answered our purpose very well. 

Wednesday, yune 2. — Began work on a rope-walk, 
it being necessary to make ropes to use in rigging our 
boat now building. 

Thursday, yune 3. — Still at work rope-making, and 
between three or four of us make forty-five fathoms, 
such as will suit us very well. Still eating goats and 
drinking cocoanut milk. We had up to this day eaten 
twenty-nine goats, five sheep and a hog. All things 
considered, we have lived very well. 

Friday, yune 4. — Our boat to-day was finished, 
that is, her hull. Our spars are not yet made and we 
have some calking to do, but the hull we can say is 
done, as far as wood- work goes. The boat is thirty 
feet long, eight wide, and four deep, having a cabin. 
She carries three sails and is schooner-rigged. Part of 
the sails made from our old sails, but the remainder of 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 213 

old rags of every sort. We put a pump into the boat 
to keep her clear of water in case she leaks. Had we 
plenty of good provisions should go to San Francisco, 
but as we have not we intend to go to some of the 
islands that are inhabited nearer to us. 

Saturday, June 5. — Made a calking iron to-day 
and picked oakum ; afterward spun it into rolls. 

Thursday, June 10. — Calking and laying seams 
to-day. Using tar and paint instead of pitch, both of 
which we found in one of the houses. 

Monday, June 14. — Took down the flag-staff to-day, 
intending to use it for a mast. Some of the men have 
been spar-making for several days. Engaged also salt- 
ing down goat meat to take to sea. Tried to shoot cat- 
tle, but without success. 

Tuesday, June 15. — Our boat, being built of green 
wood, had shrunk so as to require calking again. 

Thursday, June 17. — All day calking the boat, 
and had her nearly ready for sea. 

Saturday, June 19. — We have only to step our 
masts, rig our spars, and bind sails, to be ready to go to 
sea. We feared, however, that the sails would hardly 
last us long, being very rudely made of frail stuff. 

Thursday, Ju?ie 24. — Fitted the spars, but could do 
only half a day's work owing to heavy rain. Began 
building a skiff, to be used as a tender to the larger 
boat. 

Thursday, July 1. — Mr. Bartlett and I found sev- 
eral old barrels, which we repaired, and sent to the 
landing to be used as water casks on board our boat. 
Finished the small boat to-day. 

Saturday, July 3. — Busy to-day cutting wood for 
fuel, and carrying it to the beach. Nearly ready to 
leave, and expect every day to get away the next. 

Sunday, July 4, — Wrote several letters, intending 



214 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

to leave them on the island, giving an account of my 
adventures, etc. 

Monday, July 5. — Took the small boat and made 
soundings of the channel in which to launch our boat. 
Jammed my hand very severely in moving large rocks, 
but was greatly relieved by the application of Perry 
Davis's pain killer, which I found on the island. 

Friday, July 9. — All hands down to the beach get- 
ting the boat ready for launching. Hard day's work it 
was, too. Stove the boat slightly in turning her. 

Tuesday, July 13. — Three of the men, regarding the 
staving of the boat yesterday as a bad omen, to-day 
declined to go to sea in her. I made no objections, 
feeling that the less in the boat the greater comfort for 
each one. 

Thursday, July 15. — Found the boat on her beam 
ends, the heavy surf having washed away the shores. 
This is the highest point that the surf has reached since 
our arrival on the island. 

Friday, July 16. — Wind northwest, strong in the 
morning. Sea much lower than yesterday. Carried 
provisions to the boat, intending to start off next day. 
In the afternoon wind southwest, with rain keeping us 
at home. 

Saturday, July 17. — Strong winds from the south- 
east. It was very trying to one thus to wait day after 
day, now that we were ready to go. In the afternoon 
carried twelve hundred oranges on board, also our stove, 
which was made of an old copper kettle. 

Wednesday, July 21. — Made an ensign to-day from 
red trimming on the church pulpit, white cotton from an 
old shirt, and blue dungaree. Called our boat the " John 
Adams," after one of the original settlers of Pitcairn's 
Island. 

Friday, July 23. — Bid good-by to our old home and 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 215 

started for the landing. At twelve o'clock we launched 
the boat without disaster or mishap, and anchored her 
off shore. Our anchor was an old anvil. Mr. Bartlett 
and I went ashore and dug up my money, which had 
been all this time directly under the boat while building. 
Soon after noon weighed anchor and started out to sea, 
being accompanied a mile or two by our men who pro- 
posed remaining on the island. They left us with three 
cheers. At first we had a light wind from the west, and 
before morning a heavy gale, obliging us to shorten sail. 
My intention was to steer for Tahiti, but the wind being 
against us, we headed for the Marquesas. Mr. Bartlett, 
myself, and the crew very seasick, and had our boat 
swamped during the night, it would have been a great 
effort for us to have saved ourselves. 

Saturday, jfuly 24. — Fresh gales from the north- 
west, with heavy sea. Our boat very uneasy, having a 
peculiar motion, very different from that of the ship. 
She goes along much better and easier than I expected, 
and after the trial of last night, I could but feel more 
confident of her. Mr. Bartlett and two men still very 
sick. We intended to have passed close to Oeno Island, 
but there being a contrary wind, we were unable to do 
so. Made up to this noon (twenty hours from Pitcairn's 
Island), eighty-one miles. 

Sunday, jfuly 25. — Throughout the day fair, but 
some rain squalls. Strong breezes from the northwest 
and a heavy sea on. Boat very uneasy, but going along 
dry. Feel much better to-day, and getting used to the 
motion of the boat. Made last twenty-four hours one 
hundred and twenty-seven miles. 

Monday, July 26. — Moderate wind from the south- 
west, and very pleasant generally, though early in the 
day somewhat squally. Got our stove on deck. Killed 
and cooked a few chickens, having two dozen in a coop 



2l6 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS 

on deck. Seasick people entirely recovered, and every- 
body in good spirits. Made one hundred and twelve 
miles. 

Tuesday, July 27. — Trade winds from the south- 
east. Long, heavy swell on, making our boat very 
uneasy. Obliged to crawl on all fours. Lived on 
chicken and goat to-day, both well cooked, and palata- 
ble. Dried our clothes on deck. Very warm and grow- 
ing more so every day. Made one hundred miles this 
day. 

Wednesday, July 28. — Fair day and warm, with 
light southeast trade winds. Going along nicely, and as 
dry as can be. Cooked breakfast this morning myself, 
it being my watch on deck. Boiled potatoes and fried 
bananas, and had a good meal. Most too warm for 
comfort, but we are too well off to complain. Made 
one hundred and fifteen miles to-day. 

Thursday, July 29. — Pleasant, with fresh trade 
winds from the east-northeast. I am troubled to-day 
with a bad headache, which is rather aggravated by the 
motion of the boat. Made one hundred and twenty- 
four miles. 

Friday, July 30. — Fair, with moderate wind from 
the east-northeast. Sun pouring down upon us, hot, 
and we are unable to get a shade from it. One week 
since leaving Pitcairn's Island, and have done well. 
Made over one hundred miles each day ; this day one 
hundred and fourteen. 

Saturday, July 31. — Moderate southeast trades. 
Sea smooth. Making good progress, but too hot for 
comfort. Our stove answers our purpose very well, and 
cooks our goat and chicken very nearly to perfection. 

Sunday, Aug. 1. — Trades from the southeast. Al- 
most melting hot, and we suffer a good deal. Our 
limbs are getting cramped and stiff, as we have no 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND 21 7 

opportunity to move about. Made one hundred and 
eighteen miles. 

Monday, Aug. 2. — Very light trades and pleasant. 
In the afternoon made the island of Dominique and 
two others. At night hove to off the islands. Made 
to-day eighty-five miles. 

Tuesday, Aug. 3. — Fair day. Close into the isl- 
and of Ohitahoo, one of the Marquesas. We could 
see the natives ashore very plainly. Sailed around the 
island, and stood in to Resolution Bay. Having seen 
houses there, we thought that there might be a Euro" 
pean settlement there. The natives came off in their 
canoes, and finally surrounded us. Found that there 
are no Europeans on the island. They were anxious 
for us to anchor; but I was quite as anxious to get 
away, as they were a savage-looking set. Stood over to 
the island of Ohevahoa, but the wind was light and we 
were unable to reach it, and stood for Nukahiva. 
Made about one hundred miles to-day. 

Wednesday, Aug. 4. — Fair, and fine breeze. In 
the morning saw the island of Nukahiva. Not having 
any chart, we had to sail all around the island to find the 
harbor, and had about given up the idea of finding a 
settlement. We had taken account of our provisions, 
and had determined to go to the Sandwich Islands, 
some two thousand five hundred or three thousand 
miles away. We rounded the point of the harbor, and 
to our great joy and surprise there lay at anchor an 
American man-of war, the only vessel in the harbor. 
So great was our joy that we were unable to speak for 
some time, but could only sit and look at this, the first 
ship we had seen since leaving San Francisco six 
months before, and this one flying the stars and stripes. 
As soon as we could command our feelings, we stood for 
the ship and hoisted our ensign. In about an hour we 



21 8 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

anchored within a few rods of her and were hailed. We 
gave them in response an account of ourselves, stating 
our ship's name and nationality. The captain sent his 
boat off with his compliments and a request for us to 
come on board. In the boat was a sailor who had been 
with me a year before, who at once recognized me. I 
put on my best clothes, consisting of a ragged coat, a 
shirt and pants all dilapidated, and went on board, tak- 
ing my gold. The ship proved to be the U. S. sloop- 
of-war "Vandalia," which had only reached here the 
day before and was about to leave. No American ship 
had been here for nearly five years. A French settle- 
ment was on the island, so that had I not seen the 
" Vandalia," I should have been sure of protection. I 
was kindly received on board the " Vandalia " in the 
mess-room by the captain and all his officers and guests, 
including the governor of the island. I gave them an 
account of my adventures, and stated the whereabouts of 
the remainder of the crew and passengers. I was sup- 
plied with clothing and all necessary comforts. All 
hands were ordered on board to prepare to go to sea in 
the morning early. Capt. Sinclair gave me every 
assistance in his power and took me into his cabin. 

Thursday, Aug. 5. — On board the "Vandalia" 
as comfortable as can be. During the morning I sold 
my boat to one of the missionaries, receiving for her two 
hundred and fifty dollars. I was sorry to part with her, 
as many pleasant associations are connected with her. 
At 10 a. m. left the harbor and sailed for Oeno and 
Pitcairn's Island, by way of Tahiti, where we intended 
to stop for wood and water. Reading home papers to- 
day, but am hardly yet accustomed to this change. 

Tuesday, Aug. 10. — After a very pleasant voyage 
in every respect, we arrived at Tahiti. Time hangs 
heavily on my hands, as I have nothing to do, and much 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 219 

to think of, besides being very anxious to be on my way 
home. Called at the American consul's and found that 
nothing had been heard from my crew, and believed 
them to be still at Oeno. Found that a French frigate 
was to start for Honolulu in about ten days, and expected 
to be obliged to take passage in her. 

Wednesday, Aug. n. — The "Vandalia" left for 
Oeno, Mr. Bartlett being on board, he having joined her 
as an officer. Received a very polite note from the 
French governor, offering me a passage in the sloop-of- 
war " Eurydice," which I thankfully accepted. I was 
quite impatient to get away, and hoped her sailing day 
would not be long deferred. 

Tuesday, Aug. 19 — Sailed from Tahiti bound for 
the Sandwich Islands. After a pleasant passage of six- 
teen days, arrived at Honolulu. During the passage the 
officers seemed to exert themselves in every possible way 
to promote my comfort, and I left the ship almost with 
regret, though the monotony of the voyage was most 
tedious. On going ashore I found the American bark 
" Yankee " loading for San Francisco, to sail in about 
ten days. Engaged passage in her, but could hardly 
muster patience to wait for her sailing. It seemed as 
though I was delayed on every hand in my endeavors 
to reach home. After spending thirteen days in Hono- 
lulu, having no news from home, but reading in the 
papers of the loss of the " Wild Wave " with all on 
board, which only increased my anxiety to reach home 
and contradict this report in person. 

Wednesday, Sept. 15. — Sailed for San Francisco, 
previously having called on board the " Eurydice " to 
pay my parting respects to the officers. As we sailed 
by the " Eurydice," she manned her yards and gave us 
three cheers. 

Wednesday, Sept. 29. — Arrived in San Francisco. 



220 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

On coming to anchor, numerous shore boats came off ; 
among others, my old boatman who took me off to the 
ship on the 9th of February preceding. He looked at 
me in perfect amazement, and exclaimed, " My God ! is 
that you, Capt. Knowles ? " IJe took me ashore, when 
I immediately started for the Bank Exchange to see my 
old friend Parker. This was a gala day in San Fran- 
cisco, the citizens being engaged in celebrating the laying 
of the first Atlantic cable. I met there many of my old 
friends, who welcomed me in a most hearty manner, they 
having long since given me up as among the missing. 
This was a gala day to me, meeting, as I did, so many of 
my old friends, and at the close I was nearly worn out 
with excitement. I wish above all things that there was 
an overland telegraph, that I might at once communicate 
with my friends. I heard from home that I had a 
a daughter there about seven months old ; but other than 
this, nothing of interest. 

Wednesday, Oct 6. — I left San Francisco on the 
steamer " Golden Gate " for New York, where I arrived 
on the 28th, having been ill most of the passage. Went 
immediately to the Astor House, and then called on my. 
friend, John Simpkins, who was indeed an astonished 
man to see me, who had long since been counted among 
the missing. Here I heard from home direct for the 
first time, and at once telegraphed to my wife at 
Brewster, and friends in Boston. This caused great 
excitement among my many friends ; in fact, I did not 
know how many I had until I became so great a hero. 

Next day received a despatch from my wife saying, 
" All well." 

Friday, Oct 30. — Left for Boston, and on Saturday 
started from Boston for home, where I arrived at noon. 
I was met at Yarmouth by Mr. Cobb, with his turnout, 
and carried to Brewster in triumph. Found my wife in 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 221 

a feeble state of health, but the baby well and hearty. 
My mother, also, was in poor health, she among others 
having had many anxious moments on my account. 
The meeting with my family was quite affecting ; such 
a meeting seldom takes place. Every one had long 
since given me up as lost. I was indeed glad to be at 
home and at rest. The hard, wild life of months past 
had told severely on my health, and the intense anxiety 
had assisted to wear me out. I settled myself quietly 
at home, and truly appreciated home comforts while 
trying to regain my health. 

About two months after my arrival home, I was visited 
by my mate, Mr. Bartlett, who had left the " Vandalia " 
in San Francisco. After leaving Tahiti, she sailed for 
Oeno Island, there finding forty men, — one having died. 
They had evidently quarrelled among themselves, as 
they each one lived in a separate tent. On leaving 
them, they were living quietly together in twos. They 
had built a boat from pieces of the ship, but had built 
so large a craft that they could not launch her. They 
had had anything but a pleasant time, according to the 
account of the steward, who was a faithful man, and had 
taken excellent care of my effects, and delivered them 
to Mr. Bartlett. After taking the men from Oeno, the 
"Vandalia" sailed for Pitcairn's Island and took off 
three men left there. After visiting several islands, and 
being engaged in frequent skirmishes with the natives, 
she sailed for San Francisco. 



FOURTEEN YEARS AFTER. 

In the month of February, 1872, fourteen years after 
the events just narrated, I sailed from San Francisco 
in the ship " Glory of the Seas." of Boston, bound 
to Liverpool. On the 7th of March, at 4 a. m., 



222 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

came in sight of Pitcairn's Island, and at twelve could 
distinguish the houses and the English flag flying 
from the staff. At 2 p. m. we lay becalmed under 
the island, and being about giving up seeing any 
of the people, sighted a boat coming off. In it was 
a party of men seven or eight in number. They soon 
hailed us and came on board, bringing with them a 
large quantity of fruit. The captain of the party, who 
was the chief magistrate of the island, introduced him- 
self to me. Then I made myself known to him, at 
which he seemed to have lost his senses. He yelled to 
his party, " Capt. Knowles of the ' Wild Wave ! ' " " Are 
you really Capt. Knowles ? but they say he is dead. 
Are you really Capt. Knowles, of Cape Cod ? " They 
seemed to doubt my word till I described my hen-house 
to them, and gave them other details of my life on the 
island, at which they were satisfied. They insisted on 
my going ashore with them, — which I declined to do. 
At 4 p. m. they left us, taking with them quite a load of 
books, papers, etc., promising to come off again in an 
hour or two. At 6 p. m. they came off, bringing a heavy 
cargo of fruit, etc., and some fowl, and a gift of some 
sort from nearly everybody on the island. My arrival 
had apparently created no little stir ashore, and the 
whole population regretted I had not paid them a visit 
and remained longer. At 9 p. m. they left us, with their 
boat well loaded with a variety of useful things, includ- 
ing a pig. At 9 50 we took a fine breeze from the east, 
and in two hours Pitcairn's Island was far out of sight. 
The wind seemed made to order for us on this day, dying 
away calm on our arrival, and springing up strong just at 
dark, as the. boat was leaving us. The supply of fruit 
on board was very large, and we enjoyed watermelons 
and bananas off Cape Horn, and oranges nearly all the 
way to Liverpool, where we arrived in May, 1872. 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 223 

The following letter from Capt. Knowles, to a friend 
in San Francisco, describing the state of affairs existing 
at Pitcairn's Island on his second visit, and many years 
after his enforced residence thereon, will serve as an 
appropriate and interesting conclusion to the captain's 
diary. — Ed. Golden Era. 

Ship "Glory of the Seas," 

At Sea, Wednesday, May 7, 1873. 

Dear Sir, — I have not forgotten that I promised to 
write on my way to Liverpool, and if I fulfil my promise 
it is about time to commence. . . . 

I am now one hundred and twelve days at sea, and 
some distance from my port yet. Was in hopes to have 
been there before this, but have had nothing but light 
winds and calms. . . . Thirty-five days out I made Pit- 
cairn's Island, and was soon up with it. It was a pleas- 
ant day and a little breeze. Some time before I got up 
to the island the boats were off alongside, and were very 
glad to see me, or at least pretended to be, and I guess 
they were. They were very anxious for me to go on 
shore, so I went, and was well paid for going. On the 
rocks at the landing stood about twenty-five or thirty 
women and children, all of them barefooted, and a great 
many of them inclosed in rather scanty wardrobe. As 
soon as the boat came in, they rushed out to me and 
would have taken me on shore in their arms ; but I took 
the hand of one buxom lass and sprang on the rocks 
dry shod, and on the very rock which I built my boat 
on. They gathered around me as thick as flies. " And 
is this really Capt. Knowles ? " I expect they would 
have kissed me if I had made an advance, but you 
know I am a diffident youth in the presence of ladies. 
Miss Rosa Young, the belle of the island, presented me 
with a huge bouquet, which took several men to carry. 



2 24 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

After greeting them there we started up the hill. Af- 
ter a hard climb we arrived at the top, rather fatigued. 
There another group, — an old woman looking as if she 
went in the " Bounty," and a dozen or so almost naked 
children. I asked her if all those children were hers. 
No, she said, they were her grandchildren. Then we 
took some refreshments, — cocoanut milk and oranges. 
Then we went on to the settlement. Everything looked 
very natural to me, other than seeing so many about 
there, and the houses occupied. Went into all the 
houses. They did not look as if they had many luxu- 
ries, nor as if they were very industrious : but it had 
been a very dry season, and they were short of almost 
everything. Went into my house. It looked as natu- 
ral as could be. Everything just as I left it, — the 
table I ate off all the time I was there was in the same 
place as I left it. It is occupied by Mr. Moses Young, 
who had twin daughters fifteen years old, and as pretty 
as pinks, and if dressed as our young ladies are, they 
would take the shine from a great many who pass for 
belles. After walking about for an hour, looking at my 
old resorts, we started for the landing. You ought to 
have seen our escorts. Not every king has had such a 
one. Webb (a young gentleman who is with me) and 
I headed. 

Then in order came followers : Mary Young, one of 
the twins, with a bottle of cocoanut oil ; her sister, with 
a bottle of syrup ; Mrs. Young, with two hens under her 
arms ; Alphonso Young, with figs ; Moses, with a large 
bunch of bananas ; woman, with a lot of ducks ; man, 
with a sheep ; woman, with a pumpkin ; and so it went, 
every man, woman, and child having something, enough 
to load the boat. It looked good to me to see my ship 
lying off there to take me away, and it brought to my 
mind the many hours and days I spent there, always 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 225 

looking off, hoping to see some ship coming to take me 
off, but no such good sight did we see. 

Then we had to leave them, after an affecting parting, 
and the last I saw of them they were waving their hats, 
or anything they could find to wave at me. I shall long 
remember the day spent there. Got lots of fruit, of 
which we have a lot now. So ended my visit. I gave 
them lots of things, and promised to call again when I 
passed there. Wish you could have been with us. 
Yours, etc., 

Josiah N. Knowles. 



" Uncle Fritz, there is a Nantucket boy at our school. 
He told me how they caught a shark last summer." 

" Is his name Folger, or Macy, or Mayhew ? " asked 
the colonel, gravely. 

" Why, how did you know, uncle ? His name is 

Macy, — Arthur Penrhyn Macy. Do you suppose he 

would know about Capt. Folger and his discovery ? " 

" I suppose you might ask him," said the colonel ; and 

accordingly Bob asked, — if it were Bob. And Arthur 

Macy wrote down to Nantucket. And, in reply, they 

got, not the original documents, but copies of them as 

they were printed in the English journals of the times. 

j Capt. Folger returned to Nantucket, and when Admiral 

| Hotham, of the English Navy, was blockading the ports 

i on our South coast, in 1813, Capt. Folger sent him the 

] account. 

HISTORY OF THE MUTINY 

From the accounts given by these men, as well as 
from some documents that were preserved, it appeared 
that as soon as Lieut. Bligh had been driven from the 
ship, the twenty-five mutineers proceeded with her to 

15 



226 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

Toobonai, where they proposed to settle ; but the place 
being found to hold out little encouragement, they 
returned to Otaheite, and having there laid in a large 
supply of stock, they once more took their departure 
for Toobonai, carrying with them eight men, nine 
women, and seven boys, natives of Otaheite. They 
commenced, on their second arrival, the building of a 
fort ; but by divisions among themselves, and quarrels 
with the natives, the design was abandoned. Christian, 
the leader, also very soon discovered that his authority 
over his accomplices was at an end ; he therefore pro- 
posed that they should return to Otaheite ; that as 
many as chose it should be put on shore at that island, 
and that the rest should proceed in the ship to any other 
place they might think proper. Accordingly they once 
more put to sea, and reached Matavai, Sept. 20, 1779. 

Here sixteen of the twenty-five desired to be landed, 
fourteen of whom, as was learned afterwards, were taken 
on board the " Pandora " ; of the other two, as reported 
by Coleman (the first who surrendered himself to Capt. 
Edwards), one had been made a chief, killed his com- 
panion, and was shortly afterwards murdered himself 
by the natives. 

Christian, with the remaining eight of the mutineers, 
having taken on board several of the natives of Ota- 
heite, the greater part women, put to sea on the night 
between the 21st and 22d of September, 1789 ; in the 
morning the ship was discovered from Point Venus, 
steering in a northwesterly direction ; and here termi- 
nate the accounts given by the mutineers, who were 
either taken or surrendered themselves at Matavai Bay. 
They stated, however, that Christian, on the night of 
his departure, was heard to declare that he should 
seek for some uninhabited island, and, having estab- 
lished his party, break up the ship ; but all endeavors 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 227 

of Capt. Edwards to gain intelligence either of the ship 
or her crew at any of the numerous islands visited by 
the " Pandora " failed. 

From this period, no information respecting Christian 
or his companions reached England for twenty years ; 
when, about the beginning of the year 1809, Sir Sidney 
Smith, then commander-in-chief on the Brazil station, 
transmitted to the Admiralty a paper, which he had 
received from Lieut. Fitzmaurice, purporting to be an 
" Extract from the log-book of Capt. Folger, of the 
American ship ' Topaz,' " and dated " Valparaiso, Oct. 
10, 1808." 

About the commencement of the present year, Rear- 
Admiral Hotham, when cruising off New London, re- 
ceived a letter addressed to the Admiralty, togethei 
with the azimuth compass, to which it refers : — 

CAPT. FOLGER'S LETTER. 

Nantucket, March 1, 18 13. 

My Lords, — The remarkable circumstance which 
took place on my last voyage to the Pacific Ocean will, 
I trust, plead my apology for addressing your lord- 
ships at this time. In February, 1808, I touched at 
Pitcairn's Island, in latitude 25 2' S., longitude 1300 
W. from Greenwich. My principal object was to pro- 
cure seal-skins for the China market; and from the 
account given of the island, in Capt. Carteret's Voyage, 
I supposed it was uninhabited ; but, on approaching the 
shore in my boat, I was met by three young men in a 
double canoe, with a present, consisting of some fruit 
and a hog. They spoke to me in the English language, 
and informed me they were born on the island, and 
their father was an Englishman, who had sailed with 
Capt. Bligh. 

After discoursing with them for a short time, I 



228 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

landed with them and found an Englishman of the 
name of Alexander Smith, who informed me that he 
was one of the " Bounty's " crew, and that after putting 
Capt. Bligh in the boat, with half the ship's company, 
they returned to Otaheite, where part of their crew 
chose to tarry, but Mr. Christian, with eight others, 
including himself, preferred going to a more remote 
place ; and after making a short stay at Otaheite, where 
they took wives and six men servants, they proceeded 
to Pitcairn's Island, where they destroyed the ship, 
after taking everything out of her which they thought 
would be useful to them. About six years after they 
landed at this place, their servants attacked and killed 
all the English, excepting the informant, and he was 
severely wounded. The same night the Otaheitan 
widows arose and murdered all their countrymen, leav- 
ing Smith with the widows and children, where he had 
resided ever since without being resisted. 

I remained but a short time on the island, and, on 
leaving it, Smith presented me a timepiece and an 
azimuth compass, 'which he told me belonged to the 
"Bounty." The timekeeper was taken from me by 
the governor of the island of Juan Fernandez, after I 
had it in my possession about six weeks. The compass 
I put in repair on board my ship, and made use of it 
on my homeward passage, since which a new card has 
been put to it by an instrument-maker in Boston. I 
now forward it to your lordships, thinking there will be 
a kind of satisfaction in receiving it, merely from the 
extraordinary circumstances attending it. 

(Signed) Mayhew Folger. 

CAPT. STAINES'S NARRATIVE. 
At about the same time, a further account of these 
interesting people was received from Sir Thomas 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 229 

Staines, of his Majesty's ship " Briton," in the following 
letter: — 

" Briton," Valparaiso, Oct. 18, 1814. 

Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that, on my 
passage from the Marquesas Islands to this port, on the 
morning of the 17th September, I fell in with an island 
where none is laid down in the Admiralty or other 
charts, according to the several chronometers of the 
"Briton" and "Tagus"; therefore hove to until day- 
light, and then closed to acertain whether it was inhab- 
ited, which I soon discovered it to be, and to my great 
astonishment found that every individual on the island 
(forty in number) spoke very good English. They 
proved to be the descendants of the deluded crew 
of the " Bounty," which, from Otaheite, proceeded to 
the above-mentioned island, where the ship was burnt. 

Christian appeared to have been the leader, and the 
sole cause of the mutiny in that ship. A venerable 
old man, named John Adams, is the only surviving 
Englishman of those who last quitted Otaheite in her, 
and whose exemplary conduct, and fatherly care of the 
whole little colony, could not but command admiration. 
The pious manner in which all those born in the island 
have been reared, the correct sense of religion which 
has been instilled into their young minds by this old 
man, has given him the pre-eminence over the whole of 
them, to whom they look up as the father of the whole, 
and one family. 

A son of Christian was the first born on the island, 
now about twenty-five years of age (named Thursday 
October Christian) ; the elder Christian fell a sacrifice 
to the jealousy of an Otaheitan man, within three or four 
years after their arrival on the island. They were ac- 
companied thither by six Otaheitan men and twelve 



230 STORIES told by sailors. 

women ; the former were all swept away by desperate 
contentions between them and the Englishmen, and five 
of the latter have died at different periods, leaving at 
present only one man and several women of the original 
settlers. 

The island must undoubtedly be that called Pit- 
cairn's, although erroneously laid down in the charts. 
We had the meridian sun close to it, which gave us 25 
4' S. latitude, and 130 25' W. longitude, by chronom- 
eters of the " Briton" and "Tagus." 

It is abundant in yams, plantains, hogs, goats, and 
fowls, but affords no shelter for a ship or vessel of any 
description ; neither could a ship water there without 
great difficulty. 

I cannot refrain from offering my opinion that it is 
well worthy the attention of our laudable religious soci- 
eties, particularly that for propagating the Christian 
religion, the whole of the inhabitants speaking the 
Otaheitan tongue as well as English. 

During the whole of the time they have been on the 
island only one ship has ever communicated with them, 
which took place about six years since by an American 
ship, called the " Topaz," of Boston, Mayhew Folger, 
master. 

The island is completely iron bound with rocky 
shores, and landing in boats at all times difficult, 
although safe to aoproach within a short distance in a 
ship. 

ENGLISH NARRATIVE. 

We have been favored with some further particulars 
of this singular society, which, we doubt not, will inter- 
est our readers as much as they have ourselves. As 
the real position of the island was ascertained to be so 
far distant from that in which it is usually laid down in 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 23 I 

the charts, and as the captains of the " Briton " and 
the " Tagus " seem to have still considered it as unin- 
habited, they were not a little surprised, on approaching 
its shores, to behold plantations regularly laid out, and 
huts or houses more neatly constructed than those of 
the Marquesas Islands. When about two miles from 
the shore, some natives were observed bringing down 
their canoes on their shoulders, dashing through a heavy 
surf, and paddling off to their ships ; but their astonish- 
ment was unbounded on hearing one of them, on 
approaching the ship, call out in the English language, 
" Won't you heave us a rope, now ? " 

The first man who got on board the " Briton " soon 
proved who they were. His name, he said, was Thurs- 
day October Christian, the first born on the island. He 
was then about twenty-five years of age, and is described 
as a fine young man, about six feet high ; his hair deep 
black, his countenance open and interesting, of a brown- 
ish cast, but free from all that mixture of a reddish tint 
which prevails on the Pacific islands; his only cfress 
was a piece of cloth round his loins, and a straw hat 
ornamented with the black feathers of the domestic 
fowl. "With a great share of good-humor," says Capt. 
Pipon, " we were glad to trace in his benevolent counte- 
nance all the features of an honest English face. I 
must confess," he continues, " I could not survey this 
interesting person without feelings of tenderness and 
compassion." His companion was named George Young, 
a fine youth of seventeen or eighteen years. 

If the astonishment of the captains w r as great on hear- 
ing their first salutation in English, their surprise and 
interest were not a little increased on Sir Thomas 
Staines taking the youths below and setting before 
them something to eat, when one of them rose up, and 
placing his hands together in a posture of devotion, 



232 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

distinctly repeated, and in a pleasing tone and manner, 
" For what we are going to receive, the Lord make us 
truly thankful." 

They expressed great surprise on seeing a cow on 
board the " Briton," and were in doubt whether she was 
a great goat or a horned sow. 

The two captains of his Majesty's ships accompanied 
these young men on shore. With some difficulty, and 
a good wetting, and with the assistance of their con- 
ductors, they accomplished a landing through the surf, 
and were soon after met by John Adams, a man be- 
tween fifty and sixty years of age, who conducted them 
to his house. His wife accompanied him, a very old 
lady, blind with age. He was at first alarmed, lest the 
visit was to apprehend him ; but on being told that they 
were perfectly ignorant of his existence, he was relieved 
from his anxiety. Being once assured that this visit 
was of a peaceful nature, it is impossible to describe the 
joy these poor people manifested on seeing those whom 
they were pleased to consider as their countrymen. 
Yams, cocoanuts, and other fruits, with fine fresh eggs, 
were laid before them ; and the old man would have 
killed and dressed a hog for his visitors, but time would 
not allow them to partake of his intended feast. 

This interesting new colony, it seemed, now consisted 
of about forty-six persons, mostly grown-up young peo- 
ple, besides a number of infants. The young men, all 
born on the island, were very athletic, and of the finest 
forms, their countenances open and pleasing, indicating 
much benevolence and goodness of heart ; but the 
young women were objects of particular admiration, tall, 
robust, and beautifully formed, their faces beaming with 
smiles and unruffled good-humor, but wearing a degree 
of modesty and bashfulness that would do honor to the 
most virtuous nation on earth ; their teeth, like ivory, 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 233 

were regular and beautiful, without a single exception, 
and all of them, both male and female, had the most 
marked English features. The clothing of the young- 
women consisted of a piece of linen reaching from the 
waist to the knees, and generally a sort of mantle thrown 
loosely over the shoulders, and hanging as low as the 
ankles ; but this covering appeared to be intended 
chiefly as a protection against the sun and the weather, 
as it was frequently laid aside, and then the upper part 
of the body was entirely exposed ; and it is not possible 
to conceive more beautiful forms than they exhibited. 
They sometimes wreathe caps or bonnets for the head, 
in the most tasty manner, to protect the face from the 
rays of the sun ; and though, as Capt. Pipon observes, 
they have only had the instruction of their Otaheitan 
mothers, our dressmakers in London would be delighted 
with the simplicity, and yet elegant taste, of these 
untaught females. 

Their native modesty, assisted by a proper sense of 
religion and morality, instilled into their youthful minds 
by John Adams, has hitherto preserved these interesting 
people perfectly chaste and free from all kinds of de- 
bauchery. Adams so trained them that they all labur, 
while young, in the cultivation of the ground, and when 
possessed of a sufficient quantity of cleared land, and of 
stock to maintain a family, they are allowed to marry, 
but always with the consent of Adams, who unites them 
by a sort of marriage ceremony of his own. 

The greatest harmony prevailed in this little society ■ 
their only quarrels, and these rarely happened, being, 
according to their own expression, quarrels of the mouth; 
they are honest in their dealings, which consist of bar- 
tering different articles for mutual accommodation. 

Their habitations are extremely neat. The little vil- 
lage of Pitcairn forms a pretty square, the houses at the 



234 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

upper end of which are occupied by the patriarch John 
Adams and his family, consisting of his old blind wife 
and three daughters, from fifteen to eighteen years of 
age, and a boy of eleven ; a daughter of his wife by a 
former husband, and a son-in-law. On the opposite side 
is the dwelling of Thursday October Christian ; and in 
the centre is a smooth verdant lawn, on which the poul- 
try are let loose, fenced in so as to prevent the intrusion 
of the domestic quadrupeds. All that was done was 
obviously undertaken on a settled plan, unlike anything 
to be met with on the other islands. In their houses, 
too, they had a good deal of decent furniture, consisting 
of beds laid upon bedsteads, with neat covering ; they 
had also tables, and large chests, to contain their valu- 
ables and clothing, which is made from the bark of a 
certain tree, prepared chiefly by the elder Otaheitan 
females. Adams's house consisted of two rooms, and 
the windows had shutters to pull to at night. The 
younger girls are generally, as before stated, employed 
with their brothers, under the direction of their com- 
mon father, Adams, in the culture of the ground, which 
produced cocoanuts, bananas, the bread-fruit tree, 
yams, sweet potatoes, and turnips. They have also 
plenty of hogs and goats ; the woods abound with a 
species of wild hog, and the coasts of the island with 
several kinds of good fish. 

Their agricultural implements are made by them- 
selves from the iron supplied by the " Bounty," which, 
with great labor, they beat out into spades, hatchets, 
etc. This was not all. The good old man kept a reg- 
ular journal, in which was entered the nature and 
quantity of work performed by each family ; what 
each had received, and what was due on account. 
There was, it seems, besides private property, a sort of 
general stock, out of which articles were issued on 



PITCAIRN'S ISLAND. 235 

account to the several members of the community ; 
and, for mutual accommodation, exchanges of one kind 
of provision for another were very frequent, as salt for 
fresh provisions, vegetables and fruit for poultry, fish, 
etc. ; also, when the stores of one family were low, 
or wholly expended, a fresh supply was raised from 
another, or out of the general stock, to be repaid when 
circumstances were more favorable, — all of which were 
carefully noted down in "John Adams's Journal." 



XII. 

NAVAL BATTLES. 

'T^HE narratives about Pitcairn's Island brought 
1 them all down to such recent times, that the young 
people besieged Uncle Fritz to tell them stories of his 
own experiences. Emma Fortinbras, with her usual 
want of tact, asked him if he did not take the " Guer- 
riere " from the English. But Harry whispered to her 
that that was sixty-seven years ago, and that Uncle Fritz 
was born in the very year it happened. The colonel 
told them, however, some good stories of blockading ex- 
ploits in the Rebellion, and of his long cruise in the 
" Florida," after she had been captured.* The eyes of 
the boys sparkled a little at these, for they had some 
doubts whether that whole voyage was not apocryphal. 
But he was very careful, even in chaffing Emma a little, 
not to pass his own line of absolute veracity. 

Walter said that when you read the official report of 
a battle, you always wanted to read between the lines, 
and find out whether the man expected to beat or to be 
beaten, from the beginning. 

" I think the truth is," said Uncle Fritz, "that these 
naval gentlemen have a very stiff etiquette, which com- 
pels them to make their reports very short. You say, 

* See " The Last of the Florida," in " The Man without a 
Country." 



NAVAL BATTLES. 2$? 

1 we met a frigate and sunk her,' as if it were quite a mat- 
ter of course, as you might say, ' we spoke a schooner,' 
or ' we saw a porpoise,' as if you sunk frigates every 
day. In the old time, you see, they could not write 
very well. Now, in the old war, — in the Revolution, 
— the State of Massachusetts alone had far more guns 
afloat than the United States government has to-day. 
The men who fought the ships were regular old Norse- 
men, wild for fight, but not very enthusiastic about lit- 
erature. I laid out for you to-day this report, which I 
copied in the Archive Room of this State, of a battle 
which was undoubtedly veiy well fought on both sides j 
but you see how modestly the captain tells his story. I 
have no doubt that he would rather fight another battle 
than write that letter. Just observe that his ship is the 
'Tyrannicide.' They gave good stiff names to their 
ships. There were the ' Protector ' and the ' Oliver 
Cromwell,' and other intimations that the necks of 
kings were not sacred. 

THE " TYRANNICIDE " TAKES THE " REVENGE." 

In Latitude 28 30' N., Longitude 680 25' W., 
At Sea, on board the " Tyrannicide," 

March 31, 1779. 
I have the pleasure of sending this to you by Mr. 
John Blanch, who goes prize-master of the prize the 
privateer brig ''Revenge," lately commanded by Capt. 
Robert Fendall, belonging to Granada, but last of Ja- 
maica, mounting fourteen carriage guns, six and four 
pounds, four swivels and two cohorns, and sixty able- 
bodied men, which ship I took after a very sharp and 
bloody engagement, in which they had eight men killed 
and fourteen wounded, the vessel cut very much to 
pieces by my shot, so that they had no command of her 



238 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

at all. Among the killed was the lieutenant and one 
quartermaster ; amongst the wounded is the captain and 
second lieutenant. I captured her as below. 

On the twenty-ninth instant, at 4 p. m., I made her out 
about four leagues to windward coming down on us, 
upon which I cleared ship and got all hands to quarters, 
ready for an engagement, and stood close upon the 
wind, waiting for her. About half past 6 p. m., she 
came up with me and hailed me, and asked me where I 
was from. I told them that I was from Boston, and asked 
them where they were from. They said from Jamaica, 
and that they were a British cruiser. I immediately 
told them I was an American cruiser, upon which they 
ordered me to strike, and seeing that I did not intend 
to gratify their desires, they ranged up under my lee 
and gave me a broadside. I immediately returned the 
compliment, and then, dropping astern, I got under 
their lee and then poured in our broadsides into her 
from below and out of the tops so fast and so well 
directed, that in an hour and a quarter we dismounted 
two of her guns, and drove the men from their quarters, 
and compelled them to strike their colors. During the 
whole engagement we were not at any time more than 
half pistol-shot distance, and some part of the time our 
yards were locked with theirs. I had eight men wounded, 
only two of whom are bad. 

I intended to man her and keep her as consort dur- 
ing the cruise, but having twenty men wounded on board 
of my own men and prisoners, I thought best to send 
her home. . . . 

Allen Hallett. 

" Now that little story is all there is of an action as 
fit to make ballads of as any of them." (This to Master 
Horace, who is suspected of rhyming sometimes.) 



A AVAL BATTLES. 239 

" It is worth your while to note how hard it is to 
reconcile the account of the man who is ibeaten with 
that of the man who succeeds. This is hard enough in 
land battles. But at sea, I notice that old seamen 
cannot tell how much their own ship moves, and how 
much the enemy's moves. You notice that when there 
is a collision at sea, it is always the other vessel which 
makes the mistake." 

So the colonel sent one of the boys for the English 
Annual Register for 18 13, and Niles's Register for the 
same year. They had found out long before that 
there was always first-rate reading in the Annual 
Register. Clem Waters read aloud Capt Bainbridge's 
report of the capture of the "Java," when she was 
taken by the " Constitution," 



THE "CONSTITUTION" AND "JAVA." 
CAPT. BAINBRIDGE'S REPORT. 

United States Frigate "Constitution," 
St. Salvador, Jan. 3, 1813. 

Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that on the 
twenty-ninth ultimo, at 2 p. m., in south latitude 13 6', 
and west longitude 38, about ten leagues distant from 
the coast of Brazil, I fell in with and captured his 
Brittanic Majesty's frigate " Java " of forty-nine guns, 
and upwards of four hundred men, commanded by 
Capt. Lambert, a very distinguished officer. The 
action lasted one hour and fifty-five minutes, in which 
time the enemy was completely dismasted, not hav- 
ing a spar of any kind standing. The loss on board 
the " Constitution " was nine killed and twenty-five 
wounded, as per the inclosed list. The enemy had sixty 



240 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

killed and one hundred and one wounded certainly; 
among the latter, Capt. Lambert mortally. . . . 

For further details of the action, I beg leave to refer 
you to the inclosed extracts from my journal. The 
"Java" had, in addition to her own crew, upwards of 
one hundred supernumerary officers and seamen to join 
the British ships-of-war in the East Indies ; also Lieut.- 
Gen. Hislop, appointed to the command of Bombay; 
Major Walker and Capt Wood of his staff, and Capt. 
Marshall, master and commander in the British Navy, 
going to the East Indies to take command of a sloop-of- 
war there. 

Should I attempt to do justice by my representa- 
tion to the brave and good conduct of all my officers 
and crew during the action, I should fail in the attempt ; 
therefore, suffice it to say, that the whole of their con- 
duct was such as to merit my highest encomiums. I 
beg leave to recommend the officers particularly to the 
notice of government, as also the unfortunate seamen 
who were wounded, and the families of those brave men 
who fell in the action. 

The great distance from our own coast, and the per- 
fect wreck we made of the enemy's frigate, forbade any 
idea of attempting to take her to the United States. I 
had, therefore, no alternative but burning her, which I 
did on the thirty-first ultimo, after receiving all the pris- 
oners and their baggage, which was very tedious work, 
only having one boat left out of eight, and not one left 
on board the "Java." 

On blowing up of the frigate " Java," I proceeded to 
this place, where I have landed all the prisoners on their 
parole, to return to England, and there remain until 
regularly exchanged, and not to serve in their profes- 
sional capacities in any place or in any manner against 
the United States of America, until said exchange is 



NAVAL BATTLES. 24 1 

effected. I have the honor to be, sir, with the greatest 
respect, 

Your obedient, humble servant, 

William Bainbridge. 

" Observe," said Uncle Fritz, " the old sea-dog does 
not say a word of his being wounded himself. But if 
you will look at the 'List,' you will find ' William Bain- 
bridge, Esq., commander, severely.' 

"Poor Lambert died a few days after. As to that 
matter of the comparative strength of the vessels, there 
has been no end of discussion among naval men to this 
day. Somewhere, — here it is, — in Niles's Register, 
you will find an officer's reply to Lieut. Chads's state- 
ment, if indeed that statement were not added to the 
letter in the Admiralty Office. 

" Here it is, — 'A true statement of the relative force 
of the " Constitution " and the "Java." ' " 

Constitution. Java. 

Guns. Guns. 

Gun-deck 30 Gun-deck 28 

Quarter-deck 16 Quarter-deck 14 

Forecastle 8 Forecastle 6 

— Shifting gun I 

54 — 

49 
Weight of Shot in Broadside. 

"Constitution" — Gun-deck, 15 guns, 22 lbs. each, 
330 lbs. Quarter-deck and forecastle, 11 carronades, 
29 lbs. 7 oz. each, 325 lbs. 5 oz. Forecastle, one long 
gun, 22 lbs. Total, 677 lbs. 5 oz. 

"Java." — 14 guns, 19 lbs. shot each, 266 lbs. Quar- 
ter-deck and forecastle, 9 carronades, 32 lbs. 10 oz. 
each, 303 lbs. Forecastle, 1 long gun, 12 lbs. Shifting 
gun, 24 lbs. Total, 605 lbs. 

" Look a little further, Clem, and you will find Bain- 

16 



242 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

bridge's journal account, which he inclosed. It is terse 
and grim." So Clem read on : — 

CAPT. BAINBRIDGE'S JOURNAL ACCOUNT. 

At 1.26 p. m., being sufficiently from the land, and find- 
ing the ship to be an English frigate, took in the mainsail 
and royals, tacked ship, and stood for the enemy. At 1.50 
p. m. the enemy bore down with an intention of raking us, 
which we avoided by wearing. At 2 p. m., the enemy be- 
ing within half a mile of us, and to windward, and having 
hauled down his colors, except a Union Jack at the 
mizzen-mast head, induced me to give orders to the offi- 
cer of the third division to fire one gun ahead of the 
enemy to make him show his colors, which, being done, 
brought on a fire from us of the whole broadside, on 
which the enemy hoisted his colors and immediately re- 
turned our fire. A general action with round and grape 
then commenced, the enemy keeping at a much greater 
distance than I wished, but could not bring him to close 
action without exposing ourselves to several rakes. Con- 
siderable manoeuvres were made by both vessels to rake 
and avoid being raked. The following minutes were 
taken during action : — 

At 2.10 p, m. commenced the action within good 
grape and canister distance, the enemy to the wind- 
ward, but much farther than I wished. 

At 2.30 our wheel was shot entirely away. 

At 2.40 determined to close with the enemy, not- 
withstanding his raking ; set the fore and the main sail, 
and luffed up to him. 

At 2.50 the enemy's jib-boom got foul of our mizzen- 
rigging. 

At 3 the head of the enemy's bowsprit and jib-boom 
shot away by us. 

At 3.05 shot away the enemy's foremast by the board. 



NAVAL BATTLES. 243 

At 3. 15 shot away his main-topmast just above the cap. 

At 3.40 shot away gaff and spanker-boom. 

At 3.55 shot away his mizzen-mast nearly by the 
board. 

At 4 05 having silenced the fire of the enemy com- 
pletely, and his colors in the main rigging being down, 
supposed he had struck, then hauled aboard the courses 
to shoot ahead to repair our rigging, which was ex- 
tremely cut, leaving the enemy a complete wreck. Soon 
after discovered the enemy's flag was still flying. Hove 
to to repair some of our damage. 

At 4.20 the enemy's main-mast nearly by the board. 

At 4 50 wore ship, and stood for the enemy. 

At 5.25 got very close to the enemy in a very effect- 
ual raking position, athwart his bows, and was at the 
very instant of raking him, when he most prudently 
struck his flag, for had he suffered the broadside to 
have raked him, his additional loss must have been 
extremely great, as he laid an unmanageable wreck 
upon the water. 

After the enemy had struck, wore ship and reefed 
topsails, then hoisted out one of the only two remain- 
ing boats we had left out of eight, and sent Lieut. Par- 
ker, 1st, of the "Constitution," to take m possession of 
trie enemy, which proved to be his Britannic Majesty's 
frigate " Java," rated thirty-eight, but carrying forty-nine 
guns, and manned with upwards of four hundred men, 
commanded by Capt. Lambert, a very distinguished 
officer, who was mortally wounded. . . . The force of 
the enemy, in number of men, at the commencement of 
the action, was no doubt considerably greater than we 
have been able to ascertain. The officers were ex- 
tremely cautious in discovering the number. By her 
quarter-bill she had one man more stationed to every 
gun than we had. 



244 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" Now you may read the English account," said Uncle 
Fritz. " You will find it in the Annual Register." 

Admiralty Office, April 20, 18 13. 

Letters of which the following are copies and 
extracts have been transmitted to this office by Rear- 
Admiral Dixon, addressed to John Wilson Croker, 
Esq., by Lieut. Chads, late first-lieutenant of his 
Majesty's ship "Java." 

United States Frigate " Constitution," 
Off St. Salvador, Dec. 31, 181 2. 

Sir, — It is with deep regret that I write you for 
the information of the Lord Commissioners of the 
Admiralty that his Majesty's ship "Java" is no more, 
after sustaining an action on the 29th instant, for 
several hours, with the American frigate " Constitu- 
tion," which resulted in the capture and ultimate de- 
struction of his Majesty's ship. Capt Lambert being 
dangerously wounded in the heighth of the action, the 
melancholy task of writing the details devolves on me. 

On the morning of the 20th instant, at eight a. m., 
off St. Salvador (coast of Brazil), the wind at north- 
east, we perceived a strange sail; made all sail in 
chase, and soon made her out to be a large frigate ; at 
noon prepared for action, the chase not answering our 
private signals, and tacking towards us under easy sail ; 
when about four miles distant, she made a signal, and 
immediately tacked and made all sail away upon the 
wind. We soon found we had the advantage of her in 
sailing, and came up with her fast, when she hoisted 
American colors ; she then bore about three points on 
our lee bow. At fifty minutes past one p. m., the enemy 
shortened sail, upon which we bore down upon her; 



NAVAL BATTLES. 245 

at ten minutes past two, when about half a mile distant, 
she opened her fire, giving us a larboard broadside, 
which was not returned till we were close on her 
weather bow. Both ships now manoeuvred to obtain 
advantageous positions, our opponent evidently avoid- 
ing close action, and firing high to disable our masts, 
in which he succeeded too well, having shot away the 
head of our bowsprit with the jib-boom, and our run- 
ning rigging so much cut as to prevent our preserving 
the weather gauge. 

At five minutes past three, finding the enemy's raking 
fire extremely heavy, Capt. Lambert ordered the ship to 
be laid on board, in which we should have succeeded, 
had not our foremast been shot away at this moment, 
the remains of our bowsprit passing over his tafrrail; 
shortly after this the main-topmast went, leaving the 
ship totally unmanageable, with most of our starboard 
guns rendered useless from the wreck lying over them. 

At half past three, our gallant captain received a 
dangerous wound in the breast, and was carried below ; 
from this time we could not fire more than two or three 
guns until a quarter past four, when our mizzen-mast 
was shot away ; the ship then fell off a little, and 
brought many of our starboard guns .to bear; the 
enemy's rigging was so much cut that he could not 
now avoid shooting ahead, which brought us fairly 
broadside and broadside. Our main-yard now went in 
the slings, both ships continued engaged in this manner 
until thirty-five minutes past four, we frequently on fire 
in consequence of the wreck lying on the side engaged. 
Our opponent now made sail ahead out of gun-shot, 
where he remained an hour repairing his damages, leav- 
ing us an unmanageable wreck, with only the mainmast 
left, and that tottering. Every exertion was made by 
us during this interval to place the ship in a state to 



246 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

renew the action. We succeeded in clearing the wreck, 
our masts from our guns, a sail was set on the stumps 
of the foremast and bowsprit, the weather-half of the 
main-yard remaining aloft, the main-tack was got for- 
ward in the hope of getting the ship before the wind, 
our helm being still perfect ; the effort, unfortunately, 
proved ineffectual, from the mainmast falling over the 
side, from the heavy rolling of the ship, which nearly 
covered the whole of our starboard guns. We still 
waited the attack of the enemy, he now standing to- 
wards us for that purpose. On his coming nearly within 
hail of us, and from his manoeuvre perceiving he in- 
tended a position ahead, where he could rake us without 
a possibility of our returning a shot, I then consulted 
the officers, who agreed with myself that our having a 
great part of our crew killed and wounded, our bowsprit 
and three masts gone, several guns useless, we should 
not be justified in wasting the lives of more of those 
remaining, who, I hope, their lordships and the country 
will think have bravely defended his Majesty's ship. 
Under these circumstances, however reluctantly, at fifty 
minutes past five, our colors were lowered from the 
stump of the mizzen-mast, and we were taken possession 
of, a little after six, by the American frigate " Constitu- 
tion," commanded by Commodore Bainbridge, who, 
immediately after ascertaining the state of the ship, 
resolved on burning her, which we had the satisfaction 
of seeing done as soon as the wounded were removed. 
Annexed I send you a return of the killed and wounded, 
and it is with pain I perceive it so numerous ; also a state- 
ment of the comparative force of the two ships, when I 
hope their lordships will not think the British flag 
tarnished, although success has not attended us. It 
would be presumptuous in me to speak of Capt. Lam- 
bert's merits, who, though still in danger from his wound, 



NAVAL BATTLES. 247 

we entertain the greatest hopes of his being restored 
to the service and his country. 

It is most gratifying to my feelings to notice the gal- 
lantry of every officer, seaman, and marine on board. 
In justice to the officers, I beg leave to mention them 
individually. I can never speak too highly of the able 
exertions of Lieuts. Hevringham and Buchanan, and 
also of Mr. Robinson, master, who was severely 
wounded, and Lieuts. Mercer and Davis of the royal 
marines, the latter of whom also was severely wounded. 
To Capt. John Marshall, R. N., who was a passenger, 
I am particularly obliged for his exertions and advice 
throughout the action. To Lieut. Aplin, who was on 
the main deck, and Lieut. Saunders, who commanded 
on the forecastle, I also return my thanks. I cannot but 
notice the good conduct of the mates and midshipmen, 
many of whom are killed, and the greater part wounded. 
To Mr. T. C. Jones, surgeon, and his assistants, every 
praise is due, for their unwearied assiduity in the care 
of the wounded. Lieut.-Gen. Hislop, Major Walker, 
and Capt. Wood, of his staff, the latter of whom was 
severely wounded, were solicitous to assist and remain 
on the quarter-deck. I cannot conclude this letter 
without expressing my grateful acknowledgments, thus 
publicly, for the generous treatment Capt. Lambert and 
his officers have experienced from our gallant enemy, 
Commodore Bainbridge, and his officers. 
I have the honor to be, etc., 

H. D. Chads, First Lieutenant 

of his Majesty's late ship " Java." 

P. S. — The " Constitution " has also suffered severely 
both in her rigging and men, having her fore and miz- 
zen masts, main-topmast, both main-top, sail-yards, 
spanker-boom, gaff, and try-sail mast badly shot, and 



248 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

the greatest part of the standing rigging very much 
damaged, with ten men killed; the commodore, fifth 
lieutenant, and forty-six men wounded, four of whom 
are since dead. 

FORCE OF THE TWO SHIPS. 
"Java." 

Long 18-pounders 28 

Carronades, 32-pounders .... 16 
Long 9-pounders 2 

Guns 46 

Weight of metal 1,034 lbs. 

Ship's company and supernumeraries 377 

" Constitution." 

Long 24-pounders 32 

Carronades, 32-pounders .... 22 
Carronade, 18-pounder 1 

Guns . 55 

Weight of metal 1,490 lbs. 

Crew 480 



THE "CHESAPEAKE" AND "SHANNON." 

"That was a victory," said Uncle Fritz. "Now we 
must find a defeat." So they hunted in the Regis- 
ters till they found the capture of the " Chesapeake " 
by the " Shannon," off Boston Harbor. 

Admiralty Office, July 10. 
Copy of a letter from the Hon. Capt. Capel, of his Majesty's ship 
11 La Hogue" to John Wilson Croker, Esq., dated at Halifax, 
June II, 1813. 

Sir, — It is with the greatest pleasure I transmit you 
a letter I have just received from Capt. Broke, of his 



NAVAL BATTLES. 249 

Majesty's ship " Shannon," detailing a most brilliant 
achievement, in the capture of the United States frigate 
" Chesapeake," in fifteen minutes. Capt. Broke relates 
so fully the particulars of this gallant affair, that I feel 
it unnecessary to add much to his narrative, but I can- 
not forbear expressing the pleasure I feel in bearing tes- 
timony to the indefatigable exertions, and persevering 
zeal of Capt. Broke, during the time he has been under 
my orders. Placing a firm reliance on the valor of his 
officers and crew, and a just confidence in his system of 
discipline, he sought every opportunity of meeting the 
enemy on fair terms; and I have to rejoice with his 
country and his friends at the glorious result of this 
contest ; he gallantly headed his boarders in the assault 
and carried all before him. His wounds are severe, but 
I trust his country will not be long deprived of his 
services. 

I have the honor to be, etc., 

Thomas Bladen Capel, 
Captain and Senior Officer at Halifax. 



"Shannon," Halifax, June 6, 1813. 
Sir, — I have the honor to inform you, that being 
close in with Boston lighthouse, in his Majesty's ship 
under my command, on the 1st inst., I had the pleasure 
of seeing that the United States frigate " Chesapeake," 
whom we had long been watching, was coming out of 
the harbor to engage the " Shannon." I took a posi- 
tion between Cape Ann and Cape Cod, and then hove 
to for him to join us. The enemy came down in a very 
handsome manner, having three American ensigns fly- 
ing. When closing with us. he sent down his royal 
yards. I kept the " Shannon's " up, expecting the 
breeze would die away. At half past five p. m. the 



250 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

enemy hauled up within hail of us on the starboard 
side, and the battle began, both ships steering full under 
the topsail. After exchanging between two and three 
broadsides, the enemy's ship fell on board of us, her 
mizzen channels locking in with our fore-rigging. I 
went forward to ascertain her position, and observing 
that the enemy were flinching from their guns, I gave 
orders to prepare for boarding. Our gallant bands 
appointed to that service immediately rushed in, under 
their respective officers, upon the enemy's decks, driv- 
ing everything before them with irresistible fury. The 
enemy made a desperate but disorderly resistance. The 
firing continued at all the gangways, and between the 
tops, but in two minutes' time the enemy were driven, 
sword in hand, from every post. The American flag 
was hauled clown, and the proud old British Union 
floated triumphantly over it. In another minute they 
ceased firing from below, and called for quarter. The 
whole of this service was achieved in fifteen minutes 
from the commencement of the action. 

I have to lament the loss of many of my gallant ship- 
mates, but they fell exulting in their conquest. 

My brave first-lieutenant, Mr. Watt, was slain in the 
moment of victory, in the act of hoisting the British 
colors. His death is a severe loss to the service. Mr. 
Aldham, the purser, who had spiritedly volunteered the 
charge of a party of small-arm men, was killed at his 
post on the gangway. My faithful old clerk, Mr. Dunn, 
was shot by his side. Mr. Aldham has left a widow to 
lament his loss. I request the commander-in-chief will 
recommend her to the protection of the Lords Commis- 
sioners of the Admiralty. My veteran boatswain, Mr. 
Stephens, has lost an arm. He fought under Lord 
Rodney on the 12 th of April. I trust his age and ser- 
vices will be duly rewarded. 



NAVAL BATTLES. 25 I 

I am happy to say that Mr. Samwell, a midshipman of 
much merit, is the only other officer wounded besides my- 
self, and he not dangerously ; of my gallant seamen and 
marines, we had twenty-three slain and fifty-six wounded. 
I subjoin the names of the former. No expressions I can 
make use of can do justice to the merits of my valiant 
officers and crew. The calm courage they displayed 
during the cannonade, and the tremendous precision of 
their fire, could only be equalled by the ardor with which 
they rushed to the assault. I recommend them all 
warmly to the protection of the commander-in-chief. 
Having received a severe sabre wound at the first on- 
set, whilst charging a part of the enemy who had rallied 
on their forecastle, I was only capable of giving com- 
mand till assured our conquest was complete, and then 
directing Second-Lieut. Wallis to take charge of the 
" Shannon," and secure the prisoners, I left the third 
lieutenant, Mr. Falkiner (who had headed the main- 
deck boarders), in charge of the prize. I beg to recom- 
mend these officers most strongly to the commander-in- 
chief's patronage, for the gallantry they displayed during 
the action, and the skill and judgment they evinced in 
the anxious duties which afterwards devolved upon 
them. 

To Mr. Etough, the acting master, I am much in- 
debted for the steadiness in which he conn'd the 
ships into action. The lieutenants, Johns and Law, of 
the marines, bravely boarded at the head of their re- 
spective divisions. It is impossible to particularize 
every brilliant deed performed by my officers and men ; 
but I must mention, when the ship's yard-arms were 
locked together, that Mr. Cosnahan, who commanded 
in our main-top, finding himself screened from the en- 
emy by the foot of the topsail, laid out at the main-yard 
arm to fire upon them, and shot three men in that sit- 



252 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

uation. Mr. Smith, who commanded in our fore-top, 
stormed the enemy's fore-top from the fore-yard arm, 
and destroyed all the Americans remaining in it. I 
particularly beg leave to recommend Mr. Etough, the 
acting master, and Messrs. Smith, Meake, Clavering, 
Raymond, and Littlejohn, midshipmen. This latter 
officer is the son of Capt. Littlejohn, who was slain in 
the " Berwick." The loss of the enemy was about 
seventy killed and one hundred wounded. Among the 
former were the four lieutenants, a lieutenant of marines, 
the master, and many other officers. Capt. Lawrence 
has since died of his wounds. 

The enemy came into action with a complement of 
four hundred and forty men ; the " Shannon," having 
picked up some recaptured seamen, had three hundred 
and thirty. The " Chesapeake " is a fine frigate, and 
mounts forty-nine guns, eighteens on her main deck, two- 
and-thirties on her quarter-deck and forecastle. Both 
ships came out of action in the most beautiful order ; 
their rigging appearing as perfect as if they had only 
been exchanging a salute. 

I have the honor to be, etc., 
(Signed) P. B. V. Broke. 

To Captain, the Hon. T. Bladen Capel, etc., Halifax. 

Then the boys read the American narrative. 

LIEUTENANT BUDD'S ACCOUNT. 

Halifax, June 15, 1813. 
Sir, — The unfortunate death of Capt. James Law- 
rence and Lieut. Augustus C. Ludlow has rendered it 
my duty to inform you of the capture of the late United 
States frigate " Chesapeake." 

On Tuesday, June t, at 8 a. m.,. we unmoored ship, 



NAVAL BATTLES. 2$$ 

and at meridian got under way from President's Roads,* 
with a light wind from southward and westward, and 
proceeded for a cruise. A ship was then in sight in the 
offing which had the appearance of a man-of-war, and 
which, from information received from pilot-boats and 
craft, we believed to be the British ship " Shannon." 
We made sail in chase and cleared ship for action. At 
half past four p. m. she hove to, with her head to the 
southward and eastward. At five p. m. took in the royals 
and top-gallant sails, and at half past five hauled the 
courses up. About fifteen minutes before six p. m., the 
action commenced within pistol-shot. The first broadside 
did great execution on both sides, damaged our rigging, 
killed, among others, Mr. White, the sailing master, and 
wounded Capt. Lawrence. In about twelve minutes 
after the commencement of the action, we fell on board 
of the enemy and immediately after one of our arm- 
chests on the quarter-deck was blown up by a hand 
grenade thrown from the enemy's ship. In a few min- 
utes one of the captain's aids came on the gun-deck to 
inform me that the boarders were called. I immediately 
called the boarders away and proceeded to the spar- 
deck, where I found that the enemy had succeeded in 
boarding us and had gained possession of our quarter- 
deck. I immediately gave orders to haul on board the 
fore-tack, for the purpose of shooting the ship clear of 
the other, and then make an attempt to regain the 
quarter-deck, but was wounded and thrown down on 
the gun-deck. I again made an effort to collect the 
boarders, but in the mean time the enemy had gained 
complete possession of the ship. On my being carried 
down into the cock-pit, I there found Capt. Lawrence 
and Lieut. Ludlow both mortally wounded, — the former 
having been carried below previously to the ship's being 

* In Boston Harbor. 



254 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

boarded, the latter was wounded in attempting to repel 
the boarders. Among those who fell early in the action 
was Mr. Edward J. Ballard, the fourth lieutenant, and 
Lieut. James Brown of marines. 

I herein inclose to you a return of the killed and 
wounded, by which you will perceive that every, officer, 
upon whom the charge of the ship would devolve, was 
either killed or wounded previous to the capture. The 
enemy report the loss of Mr. Watt, their first lieutenant, 
the purser, the captain's clerk, and twenty-three seamen 
killed, and Capt. Broke, a midshipman, and fifty-six 
seamen wounded. 

The " Shannon " had, in addition to her full comple- 
ment, an officer and sixteen men belonging to the 
" Belle Poule," and a part of the crew belonging to the 
" Tenedos." 

I have the honor to be, with very great respect, etc. 

George Budd. 

" Old men and women in Boston will tell you," said 
Uncle Fritz, "how they looked from high cupolas, or 
from Nahant, to see the ' Chesapeake ' bring in the 
1 Shannon,' and how their hearts came up in their 
throats when the firing ceased so soon, and no ' Chesa- 
peake ' came back. If you will give me the ' Georgian 
Era,' Laura, next your hand there, you will find how 
they took it in England." 

So he found the place, and Laura read, 

FROM THE LIFE OF " SIR PHILIP BOWES VERE BROKE." 

After other similar services he proceeded towards 
Boston Harbor, where he discovered and challenged to 
battle the American ship "Chesapeake," promising 
that no other English vessel should interfere. Before, 
however, the challenge could be conveyed, the action 



NAVAL BATTLES. 255 

commenced, and continued for some time with great, 
animation on both sides. Towards the close of the 
battle, Broke leaped on board the enemy's ship, and 
having saved the life of an American seaman, who 
called for quarter, received the stroke of a cutlass on 
the back of the head from the wretch whom he had 
spared. This wound had nearly proved fatal, and from 
its effects he never afterwards recovered. His assailant 
was immediately cut in pieces by the sailors of the 
''Shannon," and the "Chesapeake" became a prize to 
the English. The action, which only occupied fifteen 
minutes, was one of the most bloody and determined 
ever fought between two ships of their class in so short 
a time. 

The loss on board the " Shannon," out of three hun- 
dred and thirty men, was three officers and twenty-three 
men killed ; Capt. Broke, two officers, and fifty-eight 
men wounded. 

The " Chesapeake," out of a crew of four hundred 
and forty men, had the second lieutenant, the master, 
marine officer, some midshipmen, and ninety seamen 
and marines killed j Capt. Lawrence, the first and 
third lieutenants, some midshipmen, and one hundred 
and ten men wounded. 

For this brilliant achievement, Capt. Broke received 
a gold medal, as well as the formal thanks of the lords 
of admiralty, besides a sword of the value of one hun- 
dred guineas, accompanied by the freedom of the city, 
from the citizens of London. 

The people of the county of Suffolk subscribed more 
than one hundred pounds, to be laid out in the purchase 
of a piece of plate ; and a club at Ipswich presented 
him with a silver cup of the value of one hundred 
guineas. 

On the 2d of November, 18 13, he was raised to the 



256 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

'dignity of a baronet, and on his return to England, the 
" Shannon " being condemned as unfit for further ser- 
vice, he was tendered the command of another ship, 
which the effect of the wound he had received would 
not allow him to accept. On the 2d of January, 1815, 
he was made a knight commander of the Order of the 
Bath. 

Uncle Fritz asked them to notice the awful havoc in 
these battles, the loss of life being so much larger in 
proportion to the numbers engaged, than in almost any 
battle on land. "You see," he said, gravely, "no man 
can dodge or run away. The proportion of killed and 
wounded at Bunker Hill perhaps approaches that in 
these battles. But I remember no other considerable 
action of modern times of which that can be said. And 
you must notice, also, how soon an advantage tells, 
when it has once been gained. But you want to hear 
something about the Rebellion." 

So he told them they might bring the " Rebellion 
Record " and the "Army and Navy Journal." Almost 
all the boys knew where to find them. And the rest 
of the little matinee, which was all spent after dark, as 
most winter matinees are, was occupied by dipping into 
their treasures. Here are the two official accounts of the 
destruction of the " Alabama " by the " Kearsarge." 

THE "KEARSARGE" TAKES THE "ALABAMA." 

United States Steamship "Kearsarge," 
English Channel, July 30, 1864. 

Sir, — In obedience to instructions of the depart- 
ment, I have the honor to make the following supple- 
mentary report of the action between the " Kearsarge " 
and " Alabama " : — 



NAVAL BATTLES. 2$J 

On the morning of the 19th ult, the day being fine, 
with a hazy atmosphere, wind moderate from the west- 
ward, with little sea, the position of the " Kearsarge " 
at ten o'clock was near the buoy which marks the line 
of shoals to the eastward of Cherbourg, and distant 
about three miles from the eastern entrance, which bore 
to the southward and westward. At twenty minutes 
after ten o'clock, the " Alabama " was descried com- 
ing out of the western entrance, accompanied by the 
" Couronne " (iron-clad). I had, in an interview with 
the admiral of Cherbourg, assured him that, in the 
event of an action occurring with the "Alabama," the 
position of the ships would be so far off shore that no 
questions could be advanced about the line of jurisdic- 
tion. Accordingly, to perfect this object, and with the 
double purpose of drawing the " Alabama " so far off 
shore that, if disabled, she could not return, I directed 
the ship's head seaward and cleared for action, with the 
battery pivoted to starboard. Having attained a point 
about seven miles from the shore, the head of the 
" Kearsarge " was turned short around, and the ship 
steered directly for the " Alabama," my purpose being 
to run her down, or, if circumstances did not warrant it, 
to close in with her. 

Hardly had the " Kearsarge " come round before the 
"Alabama" sheered, presented her starboard battery, 
and slowed her engines. On approaching her at long 
range of about a mile, she opened her full broadside, 
the shot cutting some of our rigging and going over and 
alongside of us. 

Immediately I ordered more speed ; but in two minutes 
the "Alabama" had loaded and again fired another 
broadside, and followed it with a third, without damag- 
ing us except in rigging. 

We had now arrived within about nine hundred yards 
17 



258 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

of her, and I was apprehensive that another broadside 
— nearly raking as it was — would prove disastrous. 
Accordingly I ordered the " Kearsarge " sheered, and 
opened on the " Alabama." The position of the ves- 
sels was now broadside and broadside ; but it was 
soon apparent that Capt. Semmes did not seek close 
action. I became then fearful lest after some fighting, 
that he would again make for the shore. To defeat 
this I determined to keep full speed on, and with a port 
helm to run under the stern of the " Alabama " and 
rake her, if he did not prevent it by sheering and keep- 
ing his broadside to us. He adopted this mode as a 
preventive, and as a consequence the " Alabama " was 
forced with a full head of steam into a circular track 
during the engagement. 

The effect of this measure was such, that at the last 
of the action, when the "Alabama" would have made 
off, she was near five miles from the shore, and had the 
action continued from the first in parallel lines, with 
her head in shore, the line of jurisdiction would no 
doubt have been reached. The firing of the " Alabama " 
from the first was rapid and wild ; toward the close of 
the action her firing became better. Our men, who had 
been cautioned against firing rapidly without direct aim, 
were much more deliberate ; and the instruction given 
to point the heavy guns below, rather than above the 
water line, and clear the deck with lighter ones, was 
fully observed. 

I had endeavored, with a port helm, to close in with 
the "Alabama"; but it was not until just before the 
close of the action that we were in position to use 
grape. This was avoided, however, by her surrender. 
The effect of the training of our men was evident ; 
nearly every shot from our guns was telling fearfully on 
the " Alabama," and on the seventh rotation in the cir- 



NAVAL BATTLES. 259 

cular track she winded, setting fore-trysail and two jibs, 
with head in shore. Her speed was now retarded, and 
by winding, her port broadside was presented to us, 
with only two guns bearing ; and having been able, as 
I learned afterwards, to shift over but one. I now 
saw that she was at our mercy, and a few more guns 
well directed brought down her flag. I was unable to 
ascertain whether it had been hauled down or shot 
away ; but, a white flag having been displayed over the 
stern, our fire was reserved. Two minutes had not 
more than elapsed before she again opened on us with 
the two guns on the port side. This drew our fire 
again, and the " Kearsarge " was immediately steamed 
ahead and laid across her bows for raking. The white 
flag was still flying, and our fire was again reserved. 
Shortly after this her boats were seen to be lowering, 
and an officer in one of them came alongside and 
informed us the ship had surrendered and was fast 
sinking. In twenty minutes from this time the " Ala- 
bama " went down, her mainmast, which had been shot, 
breaking near the head as she sunk, and her bow rising 
high out of the water as her stern rapidly settled. 

The fire of the " Alabama," although it is stated she 
discharged three hundred and seventy or more shell 
and shot, was not of serious damage to the "Kear- 
sarge." Some thirteen or fourteen of them had taken 
effect in and about the hull, and sixteen or seventeen 
about the masts and rigging. The casualties were 
small, only three persons having been wounded ; yet it 
is a matter of surprise that so few were injured, consid- 
ering the number of projectiles that came aboard. The 
shot passed through the ports in which the thirty-twos 
were placed, with men thickly stationed around them, 
one taking effect in the hammock netting, and the other 
going through the port on the opposite side, yet no 



26o STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

one was hit, the captain of one of the guns being only 
knocked down by the wind of the shot, as supposed. 

The fire of the " Kearsarge," although only one hun- 
dred and seventy-three projectiles had been discharged, 
according to the prisoners' accounts, was terrific. One 
shot alone had killed and wounded eighteen men and 
disabled a gun ; another had entered the coal bunkers, 
exploding and completely blocking up the engine-room, 
and Capt. Semmes states that shot and shell had taken 
effect in the sides of his vessel, tearing large holes by 
explosion, and his men were everywhere knocked down. 

Of the casualties in the '■ Alabama," no correct 
account can be given. One hundred and fifteen per- 
sons reached the shore, either in England or France, 
after the action. It is known that the " Alabama " 
carried a crew, officers and men, of about one hundred 
and fifty, into Cherbourg, and that while in the south- 
ern ocean her complement was about one hundred and 
seventy ; but desertions had reduced this complement. 
The prisoners state that a number of men came on 
board at Cherbourg, and the night before the action 
boats were going to and fro, and in the morning strange 
men were seen, who were stationed as captains of the 
guns. Among these there was one Lieut. (Sinclair) 
who joined her in Cherbourg. 

The ''Alabama" had been five days in preparation. 
She had taken in three hundred and fifty tons of coal, 
which brought her down in the water. The " Kear- 
sarge " had only one hundred and twenty tons in ; but 
as an offset to this her sheet-chains were stowed out- 
side, stopped up and down, as an additional preventive 
and protection to her more empty bunkers. 

The number of the crew of the " Kearsarge," includ- 
ing officers and sick men, was one hundred and sixty- 
three, and her battery numbered seven guns, — two 



NAVAL BATTLES. 26 1 

eleven inch, one thirty-pounder rifle, and four light 
thirty-two-pounder guns. 

The battery of the " Alabama" numbered eight guns, 
— one heavy sixty-eight, of 9,000 pounds ; one one-hun- 
dred-and-ten-pounder rifle, and six heavy thirty-two- 
pounder guns. 

In the engagement, the "Alabama" fought seven 
guns and the " Kearsarge " five, both exercising the 
starboard battery, until the " Alabama " winded, using 
then her poit side with one gun, and another shifted 
over. 

The collateral events connected with this action have 
already been laid before the department. 

I inclose a diagram, showing the track which was 
described during the engagement by the rotary course 
of the vessels. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedi- 
ent servant, Jno. A. Winslow, 

Captain. 

Hon. Gideon Weli.es, 

Secretary of the Navy, Washington, D. C. 

SEMMES'S ACCOUNT. 

Southampton, June 21, 1864. 
Sir, — I have the honor to inform you that, in accord- 
dance with my intention, as previously announced by 
you, I steamed out of the harbor of Cherbourg, between 
nine and ten o'clock on the morning of the 19th of June, 
for the purpose of engaging the enemy's steamer 
" Ivearsarge," which had been lying off and on the port 
for several days previously. After clearing the harbor, 
we descried the enemy, with his head off shore, at a dis- 
tance of about seven miles. We were three quarters of 
an hour in coming up with him. I had previously piv- 



262 S 7 OKIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

oted my guns to starboard, and made all my preparations 
for engaging the enemy on that side. When within 
about a mile and a quarter of the enemy, he suddenly 
wheeled, and bringing his head in shore, presented his 
starboard battery to me. By this time we were distant 
about one mile from each other, when I opened on him 
with solid shot, to which he replied in a few minutes, 
and the engagement became active on both sides. 

The enemy now pressed his ship under a full head 
of steam, and to prevent our passing each other too 
speedily, and keep our respective broadsides bearing, it 
became necessary to fight in a circle, the two ships 
steaming around a common centre, and preserving a 
distance from each other of from a quarter to half a 
mile. When we got within good shell range, we opened 
upon him with shell. Some ten or fifteen minutes after 
the commencement of the action, our spanker-gaff was 
shot away, and our ensign came down by the run. 
This was immediately replaced by another at the miz- 
zen-mast head. The firing now became very hot, and 
the enemy's shot and shell soon began to tell upon our 
hull, knocking down, killing, and disabling a number of 
men in different parts of the ship. 

Perceiving that our shell, though apparently explod- 
ing against the enemy's sides, were doing him but little 
damage, I returned to solid shot firing, and from this 
time onward attended [alternated?] with shot and 
shell. 

After the lapse of about one hour and ten minutes, 
our ship was ascertained to be in a sinking condition, 
the enemy's shell having exploded within our sides and 
between decks, opening large apertures, through which 
the water rushed with great rapidity. 

For some few minutes I had hopes of being able to 
reach the French coast ; for which purpose I gave the 



NAVAL BATTLES. 263 

ship all steam, and set such of the fore-and-aft sails as 
were available. The ship filled so rapidly, however, 
that before we had made much progress, the fires were 
extinguished in the furnaces, and we were evidently 
on the point of sinking. I now hauled down my colors 
to prevent the further destruction of life, and despatched 
a boat to inform the enemy of our condition. 

Although we were now but four hundred yards from 
each other, the enemy fired upon me five times after my 
colors had been struck. It is charitable to suppose 
that a ship-of-war of a Christian nation could not have 
done this intentionally. 

We now turned all our exertions towards saving the 
wounded, and such of the boys of the ship who were 
unable to swim. These were despatched in my quar- 
ter-boats, the only boats remaining to me, the waist- 
boats having been torn to pieces. 

Some twen;y minutes after my furnace fires had been 
extinguished, and the ship being on the point of settling, 
every man, in obedience to a previous order which had 
been given the crew, jumped overboard and endeavored 
to save himself. 

There was no appearance of any boat coming to me 
from the enemy, after my ship went down. Fortunately, 
however, the steam yacht " Deerhound," owned by a 
gentleman of Lancashire, Eng., Mr. John Lancaster 
who was himself on board, steamed up in the midst of 
my drowning men, and rescued a number of both 
officers and men from the water. I was fortunate 
enough myself thus to escape to the shelter of the 
neutral flag, together with about forty others, all told. 

About this time the " Kearsarge " sent one, and then, 
tardily, another boat. 

Accompanying, you will find lists of the killed and 
wounded, and of those who were picked up by the 



264 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" Deerhoimd." The remainder, there is reason to hope, 
were picked up by the enemy, and by a couple of French 
pilot-boats, which were also fortunately near the scene 
of action. At the end of the engagement it was dis- 
covered by those of our officers who went alongside the 
enemy's ship with the wounded, that her midship sec- 
tion, on both sides, was thoroughly iron-coated, this hav- 
ing been done with chain constructed for the purpose 
placed perpendicularly from the rail to the water's 
edge, the whole covered over by a thin outer planking 
which gave no indication of the armor beneath. This 
planking had been ripped off in every direction by our 
shot and shell, the chain broken and indented in many 
places, and forced partly into the ship's side. She was 
most effectually guarded, however, in this section, from 
penetration. The enemy was much damaged in other 
parts, but to what extent it is now impossible to tell. 
It is believed he was badly crippled. 

My officers and men behaved steadily and gallantly, 
and though they have lost their ship, they have not lost 
honor. 

Where all behaved so well it would be invidious to 
particularize, but I cannot deny myself the pleasure of 
saying that Mr. Kell, my first lieutenant, deserves great 
credit for the fine condition in which the ship went into 
action, with regard to her battery, magazine, and shell 
rooms, and that he rendered me great assistance by his 
coolness and judgment as the fight proceeded. 

The enemy was heavier than myself, both in ship, 
battery, and crew ; but I did not know until the action 
was over that she was also iron-clad. 

Our total loss in killed and wounded is thirty, namely, 
nine killed, twenty-one wounded. 

I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient, 

R. Semmes, Captain. 



NAVAL BATTLES. 265 

There was time for only one more reading, though 
boys and girls made no end of side explanations. 
The next reading aloud was 

FARRAGUT'S ENTRY INTO MOBILE BAY. 

United States Flag-Ship " Hartford," 
Mobile Bay, Aug. 12, 1864. 

Sir, — I had the honor to forward to the department, 
on the evening of the 5th instant, a report of my entree 
into Mobile Bay, on the morning of that day, which, 
though brief, contained all the principal facts of the 
attack. 

Notwithstanding the loss of life, particularly on this 
ship, and the terrible disaster to the "Tecumseh," the 
result of the fight was a glorious victory, and I have 
reason to feel proud of the officers, seamen, and 
marines of the squadron under my command, for it has 
never fallen to the lot of an officer to be thus situated 
and thus sustained. 

Regular discipline will bring men to any amount of 
endurance, but there is a natural fear of hidden dan- 
gers, particularly when so awfully destructive of human 
life as the torpedo, which requires more than discipline 
to overcome. 

Preliminary to a report of the action of the 5th, I 
desire to call the attention of the department to the 
previous steps taken in consultation with Gens. Canby 
and Granger. On the 8th of July, I had an interview 
with these officers on board the u Hartford," on the sub- 
ject of an attack upon Forts Morgan and Gaines, at 
which it was agreed that Gen. Canby would send all 
the troops he could spare to co-operate with the fleet. 
Circumstances soon obliged Gen. Canby to inform me 
that he could not despatch a sufficient number to invest 



266 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

both forts, and, in reply, I suggested that Gaines should 
be first invested, engaging to have a force in the Sound 
ready to protect the landing of the army on Dauphin 
Island, in the rear of that fort, and I assigned Lieut.- 
Com. De Krafft, of the " Conemaugh," to that duty. 

On the i st instant, Gen. Granger visited me again 
on the " Hartford." In the mean time, the w4 Tecum- 
seh " had arrived at Pensacola, and Capt. Craven had 
informed me that he would be ready in four days for 
any service. We therefore fixed upon the 4th of August 
as the day for the landing of the troops and my en- 
trance into the bay, but owing to delays mentioned in 
Capt. Jenkins's communication to me, the " Tecum- 
seh" was not ready. Gen. Granger, however, to my 
mortification, was up to time, and the troops actually 
landed on Dauphin Island. 

As subsequent events proved, the delay turned to our 
advantage, as the rebels were busily engaged during 
the 4th in throwing troops and supplies into Fort 
Gaines, all of which were captured a few days after- 
ward. 

The " Tecumseh " arrived on the evening of the 4th, 
and, everything being propitious, I proceeded to the 
attack on the following morning. 

[After mentioning the disposition of the vessels out- 
side the bar, which were destined to participate in the 
engagement, and stating that they were all under way 
by fdty minutes past five in the morning, the admiral 
proceeds : — ] 

It was only at the urgent request of the captains and 
commanding officers that I yielded to the " Brooklyn's " 
being the leading ship of the line, as she had four chase 
guns and an ingenious arrangement for picking up tor- 
pedoes, and because, in their judgment, the flag-ship 
ought not to be too much exposed. This I believe to 



NAVAL BATTLES. 267 

be an error, for, apart from the fact that exposure is 
one of the penalties of rank in the navy, it will always 
be the aim of the enemy to destroy the flag-ship, and, 
as will appear in the sequel, such attempt was very per- 
sistently made, but Providence did not permit it to be 
successful. 

The attacking fleet steamed steadily up the main 
ship-channel, the " Tecumseh " firing the first shot at 
forty-seven minutes past six o'clock. At six minutes 
past seven, the fort opened upon us, and was replied 
to by a gun from the "Brooklyn," and immediately 
after, the action became general. 

It was soon apparent that there was some difficulty 
ahead. The " Brooklyn," for some cause which I did 
not then clearly understand, but which has since been 
explained by Capt. Alden in his report, arrested the 
advance of the whole fleet, while, at the same time, the 
guns of the fort were playing with great effect upon 
that vessel and the " Hartford." A moment after I saw 
the "Tecumseh," struck by a torpedo, disappear almost 
instantaneously beneath the waves, carrying with her 
her gallant commander and nearly all her crew. I 
determined at once, as I had originally intended, to 
take the lead; and after ordering the "Metacomet" to 
send a boat to save, if possible, any of the perishing 
crew, I dashed ahead with the " Hartford," and the 
ships followed on, their officers believing that they were 
going to a noble death with their commander-in-chief. 

I steamed through between the buoys, where the 
torpedoes were supposed to have been sunk. These 
buoys had been previously examined by my flag-lieuten- 
ant, J. Crittenden Watson, in several nightly recon- 
noissances. Though he had not been able to discover 
the sunken torpedoes, yet we had been assured by 
refugees, deserters, and others, of their existence; but 



268 STOjRIES told by sailors. 

believing that, from their having been some time in the 
water, they were probably innocuous, I determined to 
take the chance of their explosion. 

From the moment I turned northward, to clear the 
Middle Ground, we were enabled to keep such a broad- 
side fire upon the batteries of Fort Morgan, that their 
guns did us comparatively little injury. 

Just after we passed the fort, which was about ten 
minutes before eight o'clock, the ram " Tennessee " 
dashed out at this ship, as had been expected, and in 
anticipation of which I had ordered the monitors on 
our starboard side. I took no further notice of her 
than to return her fire. . 

The rebel gunboats "Morgan," "Gaines," and 
" Selma " were ahead ; and the latter particularly an- 
noyed us with a raking fire, which our guns could not 
return. At two minutes after eight o'clock I ordered 
the " Metacomet " to cast off and go in pursuit of the 
" Selma" Capt. Jouett was after her in a moment, 
and in a hour's time he had her as a prize. She was 
commanded by P. V. Murphy, formerly of the United 
States Navy. He was wounded in the wrist, his execu- 
tive officer, Lieut. Comstock, and eight of the crew 
killed, and seven or eight wounded. Lieut.-Com. 
Jouett's conduct during the whole affair commands 
my warmest commendations. The " Morgan " and 
"Gaines" succeeded in escaping under the protection 
of the guns of Fort Morgan, which would have been 
prevented had the other gunboats been as prompt in 
their movements as the " Metacomet " ; the want of 
pilots, however, I believe, was the principal difficulty. 
The " Gaines " was so injured by our fire that she had 
to be run ashore, where she was subsequently destroyed, 
but the " Morgan " escaped to Mobile during the night, 
though she was chased and fired upon by our cruisers. 



NAVAL BATTLES. 269 

Having passed the forts and dispersed the enemy's 
gunboats, I had ordered most of the vessels to anchor, 
when I perceived the ram " Tennessee " standing up 
for this ship. This was at forty-five minutes past eight. 

I was not long in comprehending Buchanan's inten- 
tions to be the destruction of the flag-ship. The mon- 
itors, and such of the wooden vessels as I thought best 
adapted to the purpose, were immediately ordered to 
attack the ram, not only with their guns, but bows on, 
at full speed ; and then began one of the fiercest naval 
combats on record. 

The " Monongahela," Com. Strong, was the first ves- 
sel that struck her, and in doing so carried away her 
own iron prow, together with the cutwater, without 
apparently doing her adversary much injury. The 
"Lackawanna," Capt. Marchand, was the next vessel to 
strike her, which she did at full speed ; but though her 
stern was cut and crushed to the plank-ends for the dis- 
tance of three feet above the water's edge, to five feet 
below, the only perceptible effect on the ram was to give 
her a heavy list. 

The " Hartford" was the third vessel which struck 
her, but, as the " Tennessee " quickly shifted her helm, 
the blow was a glancing one, and as she rasped along 
our side, we poured our whole port broadside of nine- 
inch solid shot within ten feet of her casement. 

The monitors worked slowly, but delivered their fire as 
opportunity offered. The " Chickasaw " succeeded in 
getting under her stern, and a fifteen-inch shot from the 
" Manhattan " broke through her iron plating and heavy 
wooden backing, though the missile itself did not enter 
the vessel. 

Immediately after the collision with the flag-ship, I 
directed Capt. Drayton to bear down for the ram again. 
He was doing so at full speed, when, unfortunately, the 



270 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

" Lackawanna " ran into the " Hartford " just forward 
of the mizzen mast, cutting her down to within two feet 
of the water's edge. We soon got clear again, how- 
ever, and were fast approaching our adversary, when she 
struck her colors and ran up the white flag. 

She was at this time sore beset. The " Chickasaw " 
was pounding away at her stern, the " Ossipee " was 
approaching her at full speed, and the " Monongahela," 
" Lackawanna," and this ship were bearing down upon 
her, determined upon her destruction. Her smoke-stack 
had been shot away, her steering-chains were gone, com- 
pelling a resort to her relieving tackles, and several of 
her port-shutters were jammed. Indeed, from the time the 
" Hartford " struck her until her surrender, she never 
fired a gun. As the "Ossipee," Com. LeRoy, was 
about to strike her, she hoisted the white flag, and that 
vessel immediately stopped her engine, though not in 
time to avoid a glancing blow. 

. During this contest with the rebel gunboats and the 
ram " Tennessee," which terminated in her surrender at 
ten o'clock, we lost many more men than from the fire 
of the batteries of Fort Morgan. 

Admiral Buchanan was wounded in the leg, two or 
three of his men were killed, and five or six wounded. 
Commander Johnston, formerly of the United States 
Navy, was in command of the " Tennessee," and came 
on board the flag-ship to surrender his sword, and that 
of Admiral Buchanan. The surgeon, Dr. Conrad, 
came with him, stated the condition of the admiral, and 
wished to know what was to be done with him. Fleet- 
Surgeon Palmer, who was on board the " Hartford " 
during the action, commiserating the sufferings of the 
wounded, suggested that those of both sides be sent to 
Pensacola, where they could be properly cared for. I 
therefore addressed a note to Brig.-Gen. R. L. Page, 



NAVAL BATTLES. 2JI 

commanding Fort Morgan, informing him that Admiral 
Buchanan and others of the "Tennessee" had been 
wounded, and desiring to know whether he would per- 
mit one of our vessels, under a flag of truce, to convey 
them, with or without our wounded, to Pensacola, on 
the understanding that the vessel should take out none 
but the wounded, and bring nothing back that she did 
not take . out. This was acceded to by Gen. Page, 
and the " Metacomet " proceeded on this mission of 
humanity. 

I inclose herewith the correspondence with that 
officer. I forward also the reports of the commanding 
officers of the vessels that participated in the action, 
who will no doubt call attention to the conduct of such 
individuals as most distinguished themselves. 

As I had an elevated position in the main-rigging, 
near the top, I was able to overlook not only the deck 
of the " Hartford," but the other vessels of the fleet. 
I witnessed the terrible effects of the enemy's shot, and 
the good conduct of the men at their guns ; and although 
no doubt their hearts sickened, as mine did, when their 
shipmates were struck down beside them, yet there was 
not a moment's hesitation to lay their comrades aside, 
and spring again to their deadly work. 

Our little consort, the " Metacomet," was also under 
my immediate eye during the whole action, up to the 
moment I ordered her to cast off in pursuit of the 
" Selma." The coolness and promptness of Lieut- 
Corn. Jouett throughout merit high praise. His whole 
conduct was worthy of his reputation. 

In this connection I must not omit to call the atten- 
tion of the department to the conduct of Acting- Ensign 
Henry C. Neilds, of the " Metacomet," who had charge 
of the boat sent from that vessel when the "Tecumseh" 
sank. He took her in under one of the most galling 



272 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

fires I ever saw, and succeeded in rescuing from death 
ten of the crew, within six hundred yards of the fort. 
I would respectfully recommend his advancement. 

The commanding officers of all the vessels that took 
part in the action deserve my warmest commendations, 
not only for the untiring zeal with which they had pre- 
pared their ships for the contest, but for their skill and 
daring in carrying out my orders during the engagement. 
With the exception of the momentary arrest of the fleet 
when the "Hartford" passed ahead, to which I have 
already adverted, the order of battle was preserved, and 
the ships followed each other in close order past the 
batteries of Fort Morgan, and in comparative safety, 
too, with the exception of the " Oneida." Her boilers 
were penetrated by a shot from the fort, which com- 
pletely disabled her ; but her consort, the " Galena," 
firmly fastened to her side, brought her safely through, 
showing clearly the wisdom of the precaution of carry- 
ing the vessels in two abreast. Com. Mullany, who 
had solicited eagerly to take part in the action, was 
severely wounded, losing his left arm. 

In the encounter with the ram, the commanding offi- 
cers obeyed with alacrity the order to run her down, and 
without hesitation exposed their ships to destruction to 
destroy the enemy. 

Our iron-clads, from their slow speed and bad steering, 
had some difficulty in getting into and maintaining their 
position in line as we passed the fort, and, in the sub- 
sequent encounter with the "Tennessee," from the 
same causes, were not as effective as could have been 
desired ; but I cannot give too much praise to Lieut- 
Com. Perkins, who, though he had orders from the de- 
partment to return North, volunteered to take command 
of the " Chickasaw," and did his duty nobly. 

The " Winnebago " was commanded by Com. T. H. 



NAVAL BATTLES. 273 

Stevens, who volunteered for that position. His vessel 
steers very badly, and neither of his turrets will work, 
which compelled him to turn his vessel every time to 
get a shot, so that he could not fire very often, but he 
did the best he could under the circumstances. 

The " Manhattan " appeared to work well, though 
she moved slowly. Com. Nicholson delivered his fire 
deliberately, and, as before stated, with one of his 
fifteen-inch shot broke through the armor of the " Ten- 
nessee," with its wooden backing, though the shot 
itself did not enter the vessel. No other shot broke 
through the armor, though many of her plates were 
started, and several of her port-shutters jammed by the 
fire from the different ships. 



XIII. 
SHIPWRECKS. 

UNCLE FRITZ," said Clara, "we have been read- 
ing Jules Verne's ' Castaways.' Of course I know 
it is a story, but all his stories seem so true. He must 
have had something to make the Grants' shipwreck from." 

" To be sure he did," said Uncle Fritz. " I do not 
know if he saw any of the ' Strathmore's ' people, but 
I think he had read their journals." 

" Why, who were the ' Strathmore's ' people ? " 

" The ' Strathmore's ' people were the passengers and 
crew of the ' Strathmore,' a passenger ship which sailed 
for New Zealand from England, four years ago, in 1875. 
They had been at sea rather more than two months, 
when they were lost on one of the Crozet Islands. Take 
the globe and throw the South Pole on top, and you will 
find them east of the Cape of Good Hope, and south of 
it. There they had to stay six months, and from their 
stay there, I think, your good friend Jules Verne got 
some for the hints for his story. If nobody has brought 
anything else for an afternoon's reading, you may take 
down a volume of ' Chambers ' and read me the story." 

So Clara read: — 



SHIPWRECKS. 275 



THE WRECK OF THE " STRATHMORE." 

The " Strathmore " was an iron vessel of one thou- 
sand four hundred and ninety-two tons, and acknowl- 
edged to be as fine a ship of her class as ever left the 
port of London. Her commander, Capt. Macdonald, 
besides being a worthy man, was an experienced and 
careful seaman. His first officer, Mr. Ramsay, was also 
a sailor of the right type ; but of the crew generally that 
could not be said, although there were some good men 
among them. We mustered a crew of thirty-eight, men 
and boys ; passengers of the three classes, fifty-one : in 
all, eighty-nine souls. This was the clipper's first voy- 
age, and our destination was Otago, New Zealand. The 
ship's cargo was principally railway iron, but along with 
other things we had candles and spirits, and a still more 
inflammable item, immediately to be mentioned. We 
left the docks on the 17th of April, 1875, and dropped 
down the river below Gravesend, to complete our cargo, 
by taking aboard twenty tons of gunpowder, which, hav- 
ing been stored, all the arrangements for sailing were 
complete ; and, heaving anchor, we bade farewell to 
England, about midnight of the 19th of April. 

W T e got very pleasantly out of the Channel, and, owing 
to the course we steered, we in a great measure avoided 
that landsman's terror, the swell of the Bay of Biscay. 
A head wind now came on, which continued for a fort- 
night, driving us right across towards America. When 
that had ceased we had a fair wind, but so slight, at 
times, we did not make more than a quarter of a mile 
an hour. After a time more fitting breezes blew ; we had 
now somewhat settled down to life on board ship ; the 
weather had become exceedingly hot, and we betook 
ourselves to such light amusements as suited the tem- 



276 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

perature, — some to reading, some to whist and back- 
gammon, others " spinning " or listening to a yarn. 

I and three friends occupied one cabin, — Fred Bent- 
ley, and two brothers, Percy and Spencer Joslen. Our 
meals were always welcome, agreeably breaking the 
monotony of life at sea. When we had been out 
about ten days the routine was rather unpleasantly 
varied by the discovery that the crew had broken into 
the cargo and abstracted a couple of cases of spirits. 
This might not have been so soon found out, had the 
knaves not got so helplessly drunk that they were inca- 
pable of work. For a day or two they were insubordi- 
nate, and the passengers had to assist in working the 
ship. This matter, however, blew over, and things fell 
into the ordinary course. *So reckless were these men, 
that they were seen (as we afterwards learned from a 
third-class passenger) in the vicinity of the gunpowder 
with a naked candle ! 

On the 20th of May we had a thunder-storm so ter- 
rific, that, from its exciting effects, some of the ladies 
were confined to their berths - nearly all next day. To 
me and my companions it was a scene grander of the 
kind than we had ever witnessed in our northern lat- 
itudes. No ordinary language could describe it. 

On the following day, May 21, we were hailed by the 
"Loch Maree," homeward bound, and short of pro- 
visions, latitude 4 20' north. Our captain having sup- 
plied this ship with such stores as he could spare, we 
sent letters home by her. We were spoken by the 
''Borealis" on the 27th of May, and for the last time 
by the " Melpomene," on the 8th of June. We had 
this vessel in sight for two days. 

Passing over the amusements incidental to crossing 
the line, nothing of importance occurred while proceed- 
ing in a southeasterly direction, till we had rounded the 



SHIPWRECKS. 277 

Cape of Good Hope, and got fairly into the Southern 
Ocean. This vast expanse of sea, between latitude 40 
and 50 , is dotted with several groups of small desolate 
islands, requiring to be shunned with all the care of the 
navigator. At midday of the 30th of June we were 
eighty-seven, miles from one of these dangerous groups, 
called the Crozet Islands; and running at the rate of 
six knots an hour, we expected them to be in sight by 
next morning, the 1st of July. A good lookout was 
kept. But two circumstances baffled every precaution : 
there was an error in the compass,* and a fog settled 
down on the horizon ; the result being that the captain 
believed we were ten or fifteen miles farther south than 
we really were. Hence the dreadful fatality that en- 
sued. At a quarter before four in the morning of the 
1 st of July, when in my berth, I felt the ship strike on 
one of these wretched Crozet Islands. I hurriedly 
dressed, and my friend Bentley went to warn the ladies, 
whom he already found up and hastily attired. The 
ship had got wedged in a cleft in the rock. This, our 
partial escape from destruction, appeared to us little 
short of a miracle, for had she struck a few feet on 
either side, our ship, good though she was, must inevit- 
ably at once have gone down. She hung by the fore- 
part, with a list to starboard, her stern being submerged 
in deep water. 

Bentley and I, with others, made for the port-quarter 
boat, but we could not get it off the davits, as a sea 
broke over us and washed us forward to the handrail of 
the poop. All from the poop forward was now rapidly 

* The error may have arisen from the proximity of the ship to 
the Crozets, whose rock-bound coast abounds in compass-deranging 
ironstone. Or the compasses of the ship — which perhaps was not 
properly " swung " before leaving port— » may have been affected 
by her cargo of iron. 



27$ STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

getting under water to midship. The captain, seemingly 
greatly distressed, yet with characteristic disregard of 
self, gave orders as to the boats, directing that the 
women should be looked to first; his chief officer, Mr. 
Ramsay, another fine fellow, also doing all that was 
possible in the short time left to them. Unhappily for 
them and for us, the second or third wave that washed 
aver the ship carried away these good men, all of whom 
were respected and lamented. A number of the people 
got into the port lifeboat, including Mrs. Wordsworth 
(the only lady saved), and Messrs. Bentley and Spencer 
Joslen. A sea came and took this boat off the chocks. 
She fell back and partly stove in her bottom, but rose 
and floated across the poop, and finally left the ship, to 
the wonder of every one, without capsizing. It was in 
endeavoring to leap into this boat that our poor friend 
Percy Joslen was lost. The gig, with others of the crew 
and passengers, followed in charge of the second mate ; 
and after her the dingey, in charge of the third mate, 
about nine o'clock a. m. 

To resume my personal experience. The boats left 
us going towards the rocks, which we saw in front of us 
about one hundred yards off, rising like a wall several 
hundreds of feet out of the water. I should have men- 
tioned that, for the time, having parted company with 
Bentley, I, to save myself, took to the mizzen rigging. 
There I remained with others until daybreak, by which 
time the ship had gone under water, all but the fore- 
castle head. On day breaking, I got along the mizzen 
top-gallant stay to the mainmast ; and from there, down 
the mainstay, to the roof of the deck-house. There was 
a heavy swell, but every wave did not break over us. 
Several others scrambled to the same place. We then 
went on to the forecastle. 

Late in the afternoon the gig returned and took away 



SHIPWRECKS. 279 

five passengers whom we had not before seen, and who 
had been clinging to the mizzen-top. They went off, 
and we were left shivering in the cold, the lateness of 
the day rendering it impossible for the boat to return. 
We passed a miserable night. Our position was one of 
great peril, as we felt the vessel rising and falling with 
the flowing and receding wave ; we not knowing but 
that the next wave would liberate and sink our ill-fated 
ship, — as was the case a few hours after we left her. 
We had nothing to subsist on but a few biscuits, and 
were almost frozen by the wet and extreme cold. About 
ten a. m. of the second day, the gig returned, bringing 
back the hope of life which had almost left us. This 
boat took us all off, the last remaining being myself, 
another passenger, and nine of the crew. The sea had 
now become more calm, and we got to the landing-place, 
about a mile and a half to the southeast of where our 
ship had struck ; this place had been discovered by the 
first boat, and a rope had been fixed to the cliff, by 
which we climbed up the rock. 

As the morning of the wreck was nearly pitch dark, 
and the incidents were too crowded, many occurred 
which did not come under my personal observation. 
Miss Henderson was swept from the deck by an early 
wave ; her brother survived, to die a more lingering 
death on the island, Mrs. Walker fell a victim to her 
maternal feelings, as she would not enter the boat with- 
out her child. It had been taken by the second mate, 
and placed in charge of the second steward in the rig- 
ging. One of the ship's apprentices, much to his credit, 
gave up, on request, a life-buoy to one of the passen- 
gers. Terrible as the circumstances of this sad morning 
were, it is surprising the outward composure that was 
maintained throughout. I did not hear even one scream 
from the women. Mrs. Wordsworth showed great self- 



280 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

possession. When all landed and collected, we found 
forty lives had been lost, including one entire family of 
ten. George Mellor, a third-class passenger, died 
ashore, of exhaustion, the second night, and was buried 
in the sea. 

Upon landing, I was regaled with a leg of a young 
albatross (of which and other birds there was fortu- 
nately a considerable store on the island), roasted ; and 
after having been thirty hours on the wreck, I need 
scarcely say that I never tasted anything sweeter. A 
glance at the sterile rock on vhich the fates had driven 
us, and on which we were to live if we could for an 
indefinite time, showed that, compared with it, Crusoe's 
island was as the Garden of Eden. We were on Apos- 
tle Island, which, to judge by the guano deposit, must 
have been the home of sea-birds for ages, and on which, 
very probably, the foot of man had but seldom if ever 
trod. 

Before entering on the subject of our life on the 
island, it may be as well to give a brief account of the 
group of islands of which ours was one. The Crozet 
Islands are a volcanic group to the south of the Indian 
Ocean, lying between Kerguelen's Land on the east and 
Prince Edward's Island on the west. They take their 
name from Crozet, a French naval officer Apostle 
Island, on which we were, was the largest of the reef of 
rocks called the Twelve Apostles, forming part of the 
group. Large and small, islands and rocks inclusive 
are twenty-six in number. 

We spent the first and second nights ashore very mis- 
erably, owing to the cold and damp. My first night — 
the second since the wreck — I, along with five others, 
lay under a rock j next night we all got into a shanty 
which had been built, but we were so closely packed 
that it was not possible to sleep. Therefore, next night, 



SHIPWRECKS. 28l 

Bentley, Henderson, and I went back to the rock, under 
the ledge of which we slept for several weeks. Before 
we got more sheltered, by building up a wall of turf, we 
were sometimes, in the morning, when we awoke, cov- 
ered with two or three inches of snow. Little of any 
value was saved from the wreck ; some clothes were got 
out of the forecastle, and a passenger's chest, contain- 
ing sheetings, blankets, table-covers, knives, forks, 
spoons, and a few other things, was picked up on re- 
turn to the ship by the life-boat. The boats picked up 
floating, a cask of port wine, two cases of gin, two cases, 
of rum, one of brandy, one of pickles, some firewood, 
and a case of ladies' boots, which were not of much use 
to us ; also a case of confectionery, the tins of which 
became very serviceable as pots for culinary purposes. 

Two barrels of gunpowder also were found, and 
matches ; also some deck planks and other pieces of 
timber were secured, which were useful for our fires. 
When the wood was exhausted, we discovered that the 
skins of the birds made excellent fuel. During the 
night of the 3d of July, the boats moored to the rocks 
broke away and were lost. This was greatly deplored 
at the time ; but I consider it a fortunate circumstance, 
for, the ship having sunk, the only flotage that would 
have been recoverable was spirits, which perhaps we 
were better without. And for another reason : with the 
boats we might have been tempted to visit, and per- 
haps remain on Hog Island, which appeared about six 
miles off. We should have had a greater variety of 
food there, and probably altogether less privations and 
discomfort than we were subjected to on Apostle Isl- 
and ; but we would have been more out of the course 
of ships going to Australia or New Zealand, so that our 
rescue might have been much longer delayed. 

The want of controlling authority was soon apparent 



282 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

in our small community. There was no one capable of 
exercising that influence which, by judgment, firmness, 
and a sense of justice, supported by the well-disposed, 
would have kept in check the troublesome spirits, who, 
however, were a small minority. Disciplinary power 
being wanting, the turbulent element was on the ascend- 
ant for some weeks after our landing. At length mat- 
ters subsided into comparative order ; but there never 
was perfect confidence. It was found advisable, for the 
general advantage, that we should be separated into 
parties ; subsequently, into as many as six squads. 
This segregation was effected by a kind of natural affin- 
ity in the combining elements. 

Mrs. Wordsworth lived for a considerable time in the 
large shanty, until a smaller one was given up for the 
sole use of her and her son. This lady was ill during 
nearly the whole time of our sojourn on the island, but 
bore the privations she was subjected to with great for- 
titude. Little could be done to alleviate the hardships 
she suffered ; she received such attention as the limited 
means at hand afforded, and was, throughout, treated 
with general respect. For instance, when dinner was 
served, each man passed his hat for his share of fowl ; 
Mrs Wordsworth's was handed to her on a piece of 
board. 

A Bible had been saved, which was read aloud, and 
psalms sung from time to lime with great fervency; and 
early teachings, which had lain long latent, were revived 
with great force in their application to our present con- 
dition. These readings had a peculiar solemnity when 
we were laying our dead in their graves. The emotions 
thus produced were, with some, probably transient, al- 
though at the time heartfelt; with others the impres- 
sions may be more lasting. 

We found our island to be about a mile and a half 



SHIPWRECKS. 283 

long by half a mile in breadth ; no wood grew on it ; 
indeed a considerable part of it was bare rock; the 
rest of it was covered with rank grass, and an edible 
root with a top like a carrot, but not in any other 
respect resembling that useful esculent. We found this 
of great service to us, as it was our only vegetable, and 
grew plentifully; we ate the stalk at first, and after- 
wards the tops only ; sometimes boiled, sometimes raw. 
It has been said that he was a brave man who first ate 
an egg; if that be admitted, I think some claim to 
courage may be made by our quartermaster, Bill, who, 
notwithstanding some warning jokes, first tested this 
plant, very much to our future benefit. 

We were also fortunate in discovering an excellent 
spring of water, somewhat impregnated with iron, but 
imparting a quality which I believe was very favorable 
to our health. In our frequent and very necessary 
ablutions, we used, in lieu of soap, the yolks of eggs 
and birds' livers ; some made use of their blood for the 
same purpose, which I did not much incline to. When 
we landed on the island there were about two hundred 
of the albatross, young and old ; and, notwithstanding 
the warning of the ancient mariner, we killed many of 
these fine and, to us, useful birds. We agreed, how- 
ever, not to meddle with the eggs, that we might in due 
time have the benefit of the young birds. There were 
several hundred of graybacks (knot), a very few small 
white pigeons, sea and land ducks, and lots of " whal- 
ers" (ivory gull) and divers, — birds about twice the 
size of a sparrow. These make their nests in the 
ground, about a foot or two deep. Mutton-birds were 
found for many months ; they also make nests under- 
ground, but are rather more particular in selecting dry 
spots. They are about the size of a small hen, black- 
feathered, and coated with fat, which, even raw, we 



284 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

considered a luxury. The molly-hawks (fulmar petrel) 
came in about the middle of August * there were sev- 
eral hundreds of them. As soon as one lot was killed 
others came in ; in all, there must have been five thou- 
sand, if not more. The first penguin was killed by the 
cook, I think, on the 29th of September ; only a few 
were seen within the next three days, but every day 
after that they came in hundreds. There must have 
been, from time to time, fully a million of these birds. 
We killed upwards of fifty thousand without making 
any apparent impression on their numbers. The alba- 
tross, which had left, returned to the island before we 
were taken off. This fine bird, that " holds its holiday 
in the stormy gale," I had heard say was fourteen feet 
in the expanse of its wings ; but we had specimens on 
our rock that were seventeen feet from the extreme 
points of their extended pinions. Capt. Carmichael 
(Linn. Trans., Vol. XII.) says that the great albatross 
raises no nest, but merely selects some cavity for the 
reception of a single white egg ; whereas those on our 
island raised a very fine high nest. It nourishes its 
young by disgorging the oily contents of its stomach. 
The cock-bird comes to land first, as it were to select 
the spot for the hen-bird to deposit the egg; which, 
when laid by the hen, he sits on for days, while the 
lady bird goes to sea. 

The penguin, which feeds its young in the same way 
as the albatross, is a curious bird, having, in place of 
wings, two membranes which hang down at each side 
like little arms. It cannot fly. Its mode of walking 
is very singular, something between a waddle and a 
hop. As our rock was precipitous on all sides, the 
penguins came in where the rock was lowest, riding on 
the crest of the beating wave, often failing in their first 
attempts to land. When they touch the ground they 



SHIPWRECKS. 285 

march landward in Indian file, keeping good order; 
but are received as intruders by those already on shore. 
In fact their reception is most inhospitable ; they are 
pecked at, and made to understand that they are not 
wanted ; however, there is no blood shed, and they 
soon unite with the original settlers, in turn joining 
them in the assault on the next comers, or invaders, 
as they seem to think. They sit for about two months 
apparently without eating, and then return to the sea 
greatly emaciated. The penguin makes no preparation 
for the egg, dropping it anywhere. Their patient en- 
durance is remarkable. They often sit on the egg 
until their tails, covered with icicles, are frozen to the 
ground. This strange bird appears quite in keeping 
with the remote and lonely islands in which it congre- 
gates, and has congregated for untold generations. The 
molly-hawks, too, fine large birds, rendered us good 
service as food. 

The killing of the birds was at first very repugnant to 
us. The albatross was easily despatched, but the pen- 
guin was more tenacious of life, and, though a harmless 
bird if left unmolested, at times showed fight. The 
tedium of our life was mitigated by the necessity we 
were under in hunting these birds for our daily food ; 
and the eggs, which lay in hundreds around us, were a 
very acceptable and nutritious article of diet, and con- 
tributed greatly to keeping up our strength. 

We had recourse to many odd devices for table- 
articles, such as gin and other bottles for drinking-cups, 
as long as they remained unbroken ; then bladders, and 
penguin-skins made into bags, into which we dipped a 
long hollow bone, and imbibed the water, sherry-cobbler 
fashion. When we melted the fat of the birds it was 
poured into one of my sea-boots to cool, after which we 
put it into the skin bags to keep. My other boot was 



286 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

used to hold salt water. Bentley's boots were taken to 
the spring for fresh water, and were the best pitchers 
we had. When we had to resort to the feathers for 
fuel, the food took a long time to prepare, and one 
meal was scarcely finished ere cooking was begun for 
the next. Each man was cook for a week at a time. 
In our shanty we cut off the foot of a sea-boot and used 
it as a drinking-cup. Bentley was very handy; he made 
needles out of wire, part of the rigging. As for thread, 
we drew it from a strong counterpane, and when that 
failed, we used dried grass. A knife was made from 
hoop iron from a gin-case, one side of the handle from 
the top of a powder-keg, the other side from the blade 
of an oar, riveted with wire from the rigging, the 
washers being made from a brass plate from the heel 
of my boot ; also hands for a watch were fashioned from 
a plate likewise taken from my boot, — all the work of 
Bentley. Our present abode was as truly the Rock of 
Storms, and as deserving of that title as ever the Cape 
was. The island was ever more or less tempest-beaten. 
Our hardships from cold, rain, and snow were very 
severe; in fact we were never warm, and hardly ever 
dry. 

As time passed on from days to weeks, and from 
weeks to months, without succor, we thought somewhat 
sadly of the anxiety of our friends at home, yet in our 
shanty, at least, we never despaired of being ultimately 
rescued. We kept up our spirits as well as we could, 
holding our Saturday-evening concerts, — the song with 
the loudest chorus being the greatest favorite. We had 
among us a cynic, whom we knew to be engaged, and 
who prophesied that all our sweethearts would be mar- 
ried by the time we got home ! We had sighted four 
ships, two of them coming near ; one so near that we 
saw the man at the wheel. The captain of this ship 



SHIPWRECKS. 287 

made no sign of seeing us, but we afterwards learned 
that he did see us, but did not even report that he had, 
when he got into port. This behavior on the part of 
one of our own countrymen contrasts painfully with the 
generous conduct of the gallant Americans who subse- 
quently rescued us. 

It would be bootless to narrate how from day to day 
we kept anxious watch ; the record would be little more 
than a monotonous detail of disappointment, cheerless 
days, stormy weather, and bitterly cold nights. Our 
day on the lookout, which we took in turns, was a most 
wearisome duty. We had lost other four of our com- 
panions, — five in all since we came ashore. Mr. Stan- 
bury, a young man from Dover, died on the 19th of 
July, of lockjaw. Mr. Henderson, who had been our 
companion on board ship and in our shelter under the 
rock, and who had become endeared to us by his good 
disposition, died of dysentery, after a long illness, on the 
3d of September. We rendered him what assistance 
we could, but that was little. On the 23d of November, 
William Husband, an elderly seaman, died. On Christ- 
mas day Mr. Walker's child died. This was the last 
death on the island. It is curious that all the bodies, 
after death, were quite limp. I do not know whether 
this can be accounted for by the diet, or some peculiar 
atmospheric condition. I have heard that death caused 
by lightning is followed by the same result. Another 
curious observation I made was that, if we cut ourselves 
however slightly, the bleeding did not altogether cease 
for a couple of days. The antiseptic effect of the guano 
was shown somewhat curiously. It was rumored that 
one of the dead had been buried with a comb in his 
pocket ; and one of our party wishing to obtain it, two 
months after the interment, found the body with no 
sign of decay. 



288 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

January, 1876, had now come. In view of the future, 
we had collected and stored over a hundred gallons of 
bird oil for the use of our lamps, which we kept burn- 
ing all night, the wicks made from threads drawn from 
sheets and other articles. We had also gathered many 
penguin-skins for fuel. We had now to some extent be- 
come acclimatized, and were in better health than we were 
last year. We were put to great shifts for cooking uten- 
sils, our kitchen-ware being nearly worn out, though we 
found some hollow stones, which we used as frying and 
stew pans. We had, soon after landing, erected flag- 
staffs, on which we placed a counterpane or blanket, to 
attract the attention of ships that might come near us. 

Early in January we resolved to build, on an emi- 
nence, a high, square tower of turf, for the double pur- 
pose of drawing the notice of passing ships and serving 
as a shelter for the man on the lookout. The digging 
of the turf was a great difficulty, our only implements 
being our hands and a piece or two of hoop-iron. We 
were greatly retarded in our building by the unfavor- 
able weather, the rain coming down heavily. A vessel 
passed us on the 14th of this month, but no notice was 
taken of our signals. 

Jan. 21 was an eventful day; deliverance was at 
hand. About six o'clock in the afternoon, we were all 
startled by a cry from the man on the lookout, " Sail, 
ho ! " We did not long delay in rushing up towards 
the flag-staff ; we hoisted two flags, consisting of a piece 
of canvas and a blanket, one on the flag-staff and one 
on the unfinished tower ; we kindled two fires, the 
smoke of which we calculated would be seen a good 
way off. The vessel did not at first seem to regard our 
signals ; we were probably too impatient. She, how- 
ever, soon made head towards us, when we became 
greatly excited, some, in their delight, cutting strange 



SHIPWRECKS. 289 

antics, — in fact a genuine " breakdown." When about 
a mile from our rock, to our great joy, she lowered two 
boats. They tried to effect a landing on the north side, 
but it was not possible. One of the boats coming 
nearer the rock, our sail-maker leaped into the water, 
and was hauled aboard. They then pulled to the point 
where we originally landed. Capt. Giffard was in one 
of the boats. Night coming on, he told us that he could 
not take us off until next morning, but that he should 
leave us some bread and pork. However, upon being 
told that there was a lady ashore, he gallantly brought 
his boat as close to the rock as he prudently could, and 
took aboard Mrs. Wordsworth, her son, two invalids, 
and the second mate. We spent this our last night on 
the island with little sleep, but with tumultuous feel- 
ings of joy and hope, for we were yet to see the friends 
who had long mourned us as dead. 

Next morning, the vessel coming nearer, three boats 
came ashore for us. The carpenter having made four 
crosses of wood, they were placed to mark the graves 
of our unfortunate companions whose fate it was to rest 
in this lonely isle in the Indian Ocean, which we left 
with beating hearts and no regrets, and where we had 
spent six months and twenty-two days under very 
unusual conditions. I believe that the most thought- 
less among us will remember with sobered feelings, and 
to his latest day, his sojourn on Apostle Island. 

W T e were received on board the ship with the greatest 
kindness, being all provided with complete suits of new 
clothing taken from the ship's stores. Mrs. Words- 
worth received every attention from Mrs. Giffard, the 
captain's wife. The ship which relieved us was the 
" Young Phcenix," of New Bedford, an American 
whaler, commanded by Capt. Giffard. Of this kind- 
hearted and generous sailor it is impossible for us to 

19 



29O STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

speak in terms too laudatory; we would be ungrateful 
indeed if we did not keep him in lasting remembrance. 
I would fain hope that means will be found to reim- 
burse him for the large pecuniary loss that, otherwise, 
his profusely unselfish generosity must involve. 

On the 26th of January we sighted the " Sierra 
Morena," of Liverpool, Capt. Kennedy, bound to 
Kurrachee As we overcrowded the " Young Phce 
nix." Capt. Kennedy willingly agreed to take twenty 
of us to Point de Galle, Ceylon, where, after an agree- 
able passage, he landed us on the 24th of February. 
Our thanks are due to Capt. Kennedy for the treatment 
we received on board his ship. 

Our rescue had been quickly made known in Eng- 
land ; on the 29th of February I received a telegram 
from home. I should have observed that Capt. Gif- 
fard, for the time giving up the object of his cruise, 
steered for the Mauritius ; but on the afternoon of the 
day we left, falling in with the " Childers," bound for 
Rangoon, the remainder of our companions were trans- 
ferred to that vessel, and subsequently shipped for 
home. We spent some time most agreeably at Point de 
Galle, receiving great kindness from the district judge, 
the ship's agent, the Church of England minister, the 
collector of customs, and other gentlemen. We were, 
in fact, treated more like friends than castaways, and 
are not likely ever to forget the attention we received. 

I am again in England, and at home, endeavoring to 
look back upon the wreck of the " Strathmore " merely 
as an unpleasant dream. 



After the reading the little party broke up into 
groups, and fell into animated conversation. They 
were all too well bred to interrupt while the reading 
went on • even Emma Fortinbras kept to herself hei 



SHIPWRECKS. 29I 

exclamations, suggestions, improvements, and criticisms. 
But they were not at all afraid of Col. Ingham, and so it 
was with perfect ease that Will Hackmatack said to him, 
" Uncle Fred, Jules Verne's book was printed before the 
' Strathmore ' was wrecked. He must have taken the 
idea somewhere else." The colonel was well pleased at 
the correction, because it showed that the young people 
were careful, and because it was made at the proper 
time. He laughed, and said that he was not so perfect 
in Jules Verne as they were. He walked to the book- 
case, in which are his later books of voyages, and in a 
moment handed down to the boys Les Naufages des 
Auckland Lies, " The Shipwrecked Men of Auckland 
Island," by F. E. Raynal. Laura read aloud to the 
others, from the French, the account of the wreck of the 
" Grafton " on one of those lonely islands. It was here 
that the shipwrecked men spent nearly two years, in a 
real Robinson Crusoe way ; and this seems to be the 
hint given to M. Jules Verne for the experiences of 
Capt. Grant. The next week the boys found a trans- 
lation of Les Naufages, in one of the libraries. In 
the English translation the book is called " Wrecked on 
a Reef." 

WRECK HARBOR. 

We soon saw that we were in the worst situation pos- 
sible ; so long as the wind remained in the west the dan- 
ger was imminent. In fact, we were anchored so close 
in snore, that we had scarcely space to veer upon our 
anchors without going upon the rocks. We at first 
thought of cutting our cables and beating out into the 
open channel until the gale was over, but we were not 
long in recognizing that we could not do it without 
exposing ourselves to a still greater danger, for a little 



292 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

lower down was a projecting point on which the 
schooner would infallibly drift before she obtained 
sufficient way to answer readily to her helm. We pre- 
ferred, therefore, to remain where we were until day- 
break, which might probably bring with it a change of 
weather, or at least enable us to realize our situation 
more plainly. 

Every now and then it seemed as if the wind, which 
blew with great violence, would sink a little, but it 
never failed to spring up again with even more than its 
former fury. 

At 10.30 p m., after one of those intervals in which 
the genius of the storm seems to rest a moment, only 
to take breath, a hurricane of excessive fury, bringing 
with it a tremendous rain, or rather a wnter-spout of salt 
water, which it had gathered up in passing, struck the 
schooner heavily. At this moment I heard the voice of 
Alick in the forecastle, exclaiming that one of the 
chains had broken. This news plunged us into pro- 
found consternation. Thenceforth, a single anchor 
(we had no other to let go) being insufficient to hold us, 
we began to drift ashore. 

It was at midnight that we felt the first shock ; it was 
slight, but those which succeeded became stronger and 
stronger as we advanced towards the rocks. Each new 
collision struck home to our hearts; it was the more 
indubitable announcement of the melancholy fate re- 
served for us. 

Yet there was still a gleam of hope. We had touched 
at low water, and the flow, which now rose rapidly, every 
moment brought more water under our keel. The 
storm, too, somewhat subsided during the few hours 
that the tide lasted. Moreover, the " Grafton " was so 
well built, and her framework was so solid, that, in spite 
of the terrible blows it had already received, her hulk had 
not shown, as yet, the slightest sign of leaking. 



SHIPWRECKS. 293 

Alas ! this last hope was soon snatched from us \ 
instead of diminishing, the storm increased, the wind 
blew a hurricane, which, as the tide rose, drove us 
nearer to the coast. 

After a few seconds, a shock more terrible than any 
of its predecessors made the vessel shiver from stem to 
stern ; a frightful crash fell upon our ears ; the disaster 
so much dreaded had come about. The keel had 
struck against a rock, which had carried away a portion 
of it ; the next day we found its fragments on the beach. 
The sea, pouring in through the gap, very quickly filled 
the interior of the vessel, which thenceforth remained 
fixed in its position. 

But, on the other hand, the waves dashing furiously 
against her broadside, and leaping upwards, swept 
clean her decks or carried away some portion of her 
bulwarks. We had scarcely time to bring up from 
below the small supply of provisions still remain- 
ing, our instruments of navigation, and private effects. 
These articles were fastened firmly ag unst the hatch- 
way of the poop cabin, which was the least exposed 
part of the vessel. We covered them with a sheet of 
pitched canvas, under a fold of which we five, wet and 
benumbed, sat huddled up together, waiting anxiously 
for daybreak. 

As it was still the very heart of the southern summer, 
we had the satisfaction, at the end of an hour, of seeing 
the first rays of the morning. 

An hour ! It is but a trifle to him who spends it in 
the security of ordinary life, but in our horrible situa- 
tion, exposed every moment to be torn from our refuge 
and hurled into the sea, — in other words, infallibly 
drowned or dashed against the rocks — with what hope- 
less slowness lingered away the minutes ! 

As soon as day broke, my comrades crept from un- 



294 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

derneath the sail to cast a glance around. The wind 
was raging with undiminished fury; the rain contin- 
ued to fall, or rather to smite, and lash, and strike 
almost horizontally. At intervals, a strong gust raised 
up enormous billows and carried the foam in a dense 
cloud to the height of several feet. On either side 
of the schooner the wild sea leaped and tumbled, 
to dash its waves against the rocky shore, from which 
we were distant not more than sixty yards. In the 
narrow channel which separated us from the land, it 
was less agitated ; the " Grafton," now reduced to a 
mere waif and stray, barred the passage of the waves, 
which she received upon herself, and thus protected 
that part of the coast to some extent from their fury. 

Our boat, a frail shell, about thirteen feet long by 
four and a half broad, and some two feet in depth, 
built of planks of cedar less than an inch in thickness, 
was slung by stout ropes above the main scuttle of the 
schooner, its usual place. Though of light construction, 
being slung with its keel uppermost, it had formed a 
solid arch, and defied the assaults of the billows. We 
had now to unmoor it and get it afloat, that we might 
row ashore. This task was full of danger, but it offered 
us our only chance of safety ; for we trembled every 
moment lest the " Grafton " should yield to the persist- 
ent efforts of the waves, which seemed bent on shat- 
tering her into atoms. 

Without worse accidents than a few contusions, my 
companions succeeded in launching it overboard A 
moment after, she was floating securely under the lee 
of the vessel. 

Though I was of no more use than the shattered 
wreck they were on the point of quitting, my companions 
would not abandon me. As soon as they had put on 
board the skiff a portion of the articles saved from 



SHIPWRECKS. 295 

below, they assisted me into it, and then took their own 
places. 

Musgrave now selected one of the longest ropes he 
could find and fastened it to an iron ring fixed in the 
" Grafton's " broadside ; this he allowed to uncoil and 
slip between his hands until we had arrived sufficiently 
near the rocks ; then he knotted it to the stern of the 
boat in such a manner that the latter, spite of the wind 
and sea which forced her towards the shore, could not 
go any farther. This done, Alick took a second rope, 
one end of which he attached to the boat's bow, and 
having fastened the other end round his body, at the 
peril of his life he leaped into the waves. 

This was a moment of terrible anxiety, for our safety 
wholly depended on Alick's skill and strength ; but 
the latter, under his apparent inertness, concealed a 
valiant heart, and, like most of his countrymen, was a 
good swimmer. The sea tumbled and boiled around 
him, yet we could see that he never lost his presence of 
mind ; he gave the wave time to expend itself, and 
then, with two vigorous strokes, he reached a rocky 
point, to which he firmly clung. As soon as the wave 
receded, and before another could overtake him, he 
climbed to a more elevated rock, above the reach of 
the waters. A moment afterwards, his rope was se- 
curely wound about the trunk of a tree standing near 
the shore. 

From this tree to the boat, the cord, when fully 
stretched, was rather abruptly inclined. By means of 
a pulley, to which were fixed two ends of rope, one of 
which was thrown to Alick and the other retained in 
our skiff, we first passed to our comrade the pitched! 
canvas ; this he arranged round the trunk of a tree, in 
the form of a tent, and under it he deposited the 
various articles which we kept sending up to him. 



296 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

At length my turn came. Musgrave took me on his 
back, where he bound me firmly, and, seizing the pul- 
ley, he sprang over the gunwale. 

Considerably heavier than any of the packages which 
had preceded us, we caused the rope to sink to a great 
extent, yet not so much but that it kept us above the 
breakers. The traject, or rather the ascent, was not 
accomplished without difficulty and danger • at one 
moment, Musgrave, exhausted with fatigue, was on 
the point of letting go his hold, and, being tied to- 
gether, both of us must have perished, had not Alick 
hastened to our assistance, and helped us to climb the 
rocks. 

Finally, George and Harry joined us by the same 
troublesome route. As for the boat, we left it where it 
was, securely moored to the rope. 

Inasmuch as it could hold only a small number of 
articles, we took with us simply the most indispensable ; 
the others remained on the deck of the "Grafton," fast- 
ened to the hatchway, and covered with a piece of 
tarred sail-cloth. Tlv y consisted of several bags of 
salt ; Musgrave's chest, containing his charts, instru- 
ments of navigation, and the greater portion of his 
effects ; mine, in which were my gun and sextant ; a 
chest we had filled with useful domestic articles, such 
as plates, knives and forks ; and a large iron pot, 
originally intended to melt the fat of the seals we felt 
so sure of killing. 

Naturally, we had carried with us, in preference to 
these, what remained of our supply of provisions ; a 
small cask, containing nearly one hundred pounds of 
biscuit ; nearly two pounds of tea. and three of coffee, 
enclosed in a couple of tin boxes ; a little sugar, say 
one dozen pounds ; a small quantity of salt meat, half 
a dozen (at the most) pieces of beef and two of pork ; 



SHIPWRECKS. 297 

half a bottle of mustard, nearly a pound of pepper, a 
little salt, six pounds of American tobacco, which be- 
longed to Musgrave and myself, but which we shared 
impartially with our companions, and a small iron 
teakettle, which Harry, our cook, made use of for 
boiling fresh water. 

After this had been read, and one or two other 
extracts, there was a general clamor to know how they 
got away. 

" It is just like the way the Cape Cod men got away 
from Pitcairn's Island. These men built up their boat 
into a little sloop, with the wreck of the "Grafton." 
They taught themselves to be blacksmiths, and, after 
it was too dark for them to saw and chop, they ' stinted ' 
themselves to make fifty nails a night at the forge 
before they went to bed." 

Then Col. Ingham took the book and read the 
voyage of the "Rescue." This was the name they 
gave to their boat. 

THE "RESCUE'S" VOYAGE. 

On the 19th of July a southwest wind began to blow ; 
the weather was clear, though cold ; it was mid-winter. 
The hour of departure had arrived ; we were on the 
point of separating from two of our companions (as the 
boat was too small for all, and they preferred to stay), 
from George and Harry, who, for nineteen months, had 
shared, day after day, our struggles and ■ our sufferings, 
with whom we had lived as brothers. We were all of 
us profoundly moved. 

For the last time, assembled together in our hut, we 
joined in prayer to God, imploring His assistance for 
those who in a frail bark were about to confront a 



298 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

stormy sea, and those who remained on the rocky isle 
to wrestle alone against want and despondency. 

A moment afterwards we were clasped in a parting 
embrace, and Musgrave, Alick, and I set sail. 

"Observe Musgrave," said Clem afterwards, " he is 
in Verne's book by name." 

About 1 , o'clock a. m we sailed between the two 
capes which make the entrance of Port Carnley. As 
soon as we were fairly at sea, a cold wind from the pole 
filled our sail, and the boat bounded over the open water 
of the Pacific. Though small and weak, she behaved 
well and justified her name. Her seams were not as 
tight as we hoped, and this obliged us to keep our 
pump going almost all the time, while the others were 
working the boat. In every other regard she showed her- 
self seaworthy, and we became proud of our work and 
confident. The wind changed, .however, as evening 
came on ; it increased, and became a hurricane. We 
were all used to the sea, but in this little craft we were 
all terribly seasick. We could not eat, and could 
hardly drink a little water. Night came on, and 
with it the wind increased, and a terrible squall of 
ice and snow. We had taken in two reefs before, but 
had to shorten sail again. 

The next day was no better. But we had fasted 
thirty hours now, and ate a little. But we could not 
eat the roast seal we had prepared ; it had putrefied, 
and we had to throw it into the sea. 

By six in the evening the sea was so rough that we 
dared not keep before the wind. The noise of the waves, 
as they broke, was awful, and we were covered with their 
shining foam. We had to lie-to, with the head to 
the waves as far as possible, for her sides were not 
strong enough to bear them ; before we had lain so for 
half an hour, a wave higher than the rest crashed 



SHIPWRECKS. 299 

heavily upon us, and she and we were ingulfed to- 
gether. She rolled like a cork, or rather spun like a top. 
We screamed out together with what seemed to be our 
last cry. If we had not been fastened into the boat by 
our sail-cloth casing, it would have been the end of us. 
But the ballast kept its place. The wave passed ; the 
boat righted, and we, though half suffocated, found our- 
selves alive in the air, and regained our senses. 

July 21. Bad weather. The storm continued. Be- 
tween two squalls we made a little progress. The night 
was very bad. Between eleven and twelve we were 
again caught and tossed about — twice within half an 
hour — as we were last night. 

Even on the fourth day we had not passed through 
all our misfortunes. We had not closed our eyes. We 
were faint for want of food, and the little water we drank 
did not mend matters. We were watching the horizon, 
seeking hi the north some sign of relief, — hoping to 
sight land, — but seeing nothing. In all misfortune I 
kept my journal in a little book I had made, and a pen- 
cil. When the rain ceased, and at night, by our lantern, 
I made my log, noting the weather and our progress. 
It was on the morning of the fifth day, July 3, that we 
saw land. It was Stewart Island, the smallest and 
most southerly of the three islands which make up New 
Zealand. 



Here they were summoned to tea. And here, as it 
happened, the readings for the winter ceased ; for 
the next Friday the wind came into the southwest. 
Every boy and girl of them all received a postal from 
Uncle Fritz, asking them to rally at the Providence 
station, and go down with him to Little Crastis, and 
hunt for May-flowers. The next Saturday came in 
the week of the battle of Lexington, and they all 



300 STORIES TOLD BY SAILORS. 

walked to Lexington from Cambridge with him. The 
next week they went to the Blue Hills, and found 
saxafrage and liverwort, and so, as it proved, the read- 
ings for that winter were over. 

" But I hope you learned," he said, as they came 
back from Cheese Rock in Stoneham, on May day, 
"that men's books are as much better than boys' 
books as a piece of hot roast beef is better than a 
slice which has been cut off and laid in the china- 
closet ; and that, if you want to drink, it is well to drink 
at the fountain." 



When they heard that Uncle Fred thought it best to 
print their extracts in this book, the young people 
copied them for the printer's use. And Laura, and 
Esther, and Tom Rising came to Lady Oliver's parlor 
on his birthday, with a birthday present. They told 
him that Mr. Carlyle had said that any man should be 
hanged who printed a book without an index. So 
they had prepared an index for his book, in the hope 
that he might escape Then Uncle Fritz blessed 
them, and told them that they had won the golden 
spurs of knighthood, and might be trusted forever to 
be leaders and benefactors of mankind. 



INDEX 



Adair, Captain 151 

"Alabama" and "Kear- 

sarge," 255 

Alcoli, Prince of 66 

AH Pasha 81 

Armada, The Spanish 52 

Auckland Islands 291 

Azores 17 

Bainbridge, Capt. Wm 238 

Blankenberg 75 

Bligh's Voyage of the " Boun- 
ty" 194 

" Bon Homme- Richard" ... 130 

" Bounty," Voyage of 194 

Broke, Sir P. B. V 251 

Buccaneers, The 119 

Budd, Lieut.: his Report 253 

Burney's, Capt. James, His- 
tory 119 

Capture and Recapture 177 

Carteret, Capt 193 

Chads, Lieut.: his Report.. 246 

Chamillard, Col. de 133 

Chancellor, Richard 43 

"Chancellor " Voyage, The, 38 

Chase, A Long 181 

" Chesapeake " and " Shan- 
non " 239 

Christian, the Mutineer .... 228 

Collingwood, Admiral 150 

Columbus, C, Last Voyage, 5 
Columbus, C, Letter to King 

of Portugal 28 

Columbus, Diego, and Fer- 
nando 15 

" Constitution " and "Java," 237 



Crozet Islands 280 

Curiosities of Literature ... 116 

Dama, Alvaro » 29 

Dampier, Capt no 

Diaz, Bartholomew. ....... 28 

Doria, Andrew 85 

Drake, Sir Francis 60 

Dunkirk 67 

English Navy, The 162 

Farragut at Mobile 264 

Flamborough Head 130 

Folger, Capt 230 

Frobisher, Capt 65 

Fortunate Islands 36 

" Grafton," Wreck of 2 

Grenville, Sir Richard 94 

Groin, David 56 

Hall, Basil, Voyages 162 

Hallett, Allen, takes "Re- 
venge" 237 

Harleian Miscellanies 109 

" Hartford," Frigate 269 

Hawksworth's Voyages 126 

Heard's Island 39 

Hotham, Admiral 226 

Howard, Lord Charles 58 

" Java " and " Constitution," 237 
Jones, Paul, and Richard 

Pearson 127 

Juan de Casteneda 19 

Juan Fernandez 108 



302 



INDEX. 



"Kearsarge" and "Ala- 
bama," 255 

Las Cases, Bishop 34 

Lepanto, Battle of 79 

Leyden 61 

Lisbon, Columbus's Arrival, 27 

Macy, Arthur P 226 

Mante, Bay of 121 

Medina, Duke of 74 

Midshipmen's Pranks 163 

Mobile, Farragut enters 264 

Moncada, Hugo de 62, 70 

Naval Battles 237 

Navarrete's Voyages 11 

Nelson and Trafalgar 147 

IS'elson mortally wounded . . 155 
Norofia, Martin de 30, 31 

Oeno Island 196 

Oquendo, Michael de 62 

Otaheite 227 

Oronoco River 107 

Parma, Duke of 58 

Pearson, Capt. Richard 138 

Pitcairn, Major 193 

Pitcairn's Island 192 

" Pinta " and Pearson 12 

Plate, Isle of 120 

"Poor Richard" and " Se- 

rapis" 128 

Portugal, King of 30 

Raleigh, Sir Walter : his Re- 
port 98 



" Rescue " built 297 

" Revenge " : Ballad of the 

Fleet 95 

Rost Island 45 

Sainte Marie ; 18 

Santa Cruz, Marquis of ... . 92 

Sargasso Sea 12 

Selkirk, Alexander 107 

Selkirk's Cave 118 

Semmes, Raphael : his Re- 
port 263 

Senebelli, Frederic 69 

" Shannon " «- and " Chesa- 
peake " 239 

Smith, Alexander 229 

Staines, Sir Thomas 231 

Stephen's Island 38 

" Strathmore," Wreck of... 270 
" Serapis " and " Bon 

Homme Richard 138 

Terrestrial Paradise 192 < 

Toledo, Francis de 73 

Trafalgar 147 . 

" Tyrannicide " takes " Re- 
venge" 237 

Valdez, Don Pedro de 59 

Vasilivich, Ivan, King 49 

Ward House 46 

Winslow, J. A., Capt. 1 his 

Report 260 

Wreck of the" Wild Wave," 195 
Wreck of the " Strathmore," 274 

Wreck of the " Grafton " . . 291 

Wreck of the " Rescue "... 299 



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